Christ, Noah, and Baptism

Q: What does the Bible say about the suffering of Christ?

The Bible states that Christ suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18). The suffering of Christ is central to the Christian faith, as portrayed in 1 Peter 3:18 where it is mentioned that Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, aiming to bring humanity to God. This suffering was not for His own sins but for those of His people, demonstrating the depth of divine love and justice. It emphasizes that Christ's sufferings were a proper punishment for sin, fulfilling the holy requirements of God's law and enabling believers to be reconciled to God through His finished work on the cross.

Q: How do we know baptism saves us?

Baptism symbolizes salvation as an outward sign of an inward faith and is described in the Bible as the answer of a good conscience toward God (1 Peter 3:21). In 1 Peter 3:21, baptism is referred to as an antitype that now saves us, not by the physical act of removing dirt from the body, but as a response of a good conscience toward God, made possible through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This signifies that baptism represents a believer's faith in Christ's death and resurrection, showing obedience to God's command and the acknowledgment that one is united with Christ in His work of salvation. Therefore, while baptism does not inherently save, it is a vital expression of faith reflecting the believer's commitment to Christ and His Gospel.

Q: Why is Christ's suffering important for Christians?

Christ's suffering is crucial for Christians as it serves as the foundation for our redemption and reconciliation with God (1 Peter 3:18). The significance of Christ's suffering for Christians lies in its redemptive purpose; as highlighted in 1 Peter 3:18, He suffered once for sins to bring us to God. This underscores that through His suffering and subsequent death, believers can attain forgiveness for their sins and a restored relationship with their Creator. Additionally, Christ’s suffering sets a model for Christians facing trials and persecutions, emphasizing that suffering for righteousness is part of a believer's experience as they follow Christ who was not exempt from suffering Himself. Thus, understanding Christ's suffering deepens faith and encourages perseverance in the faith journey.

Q: How does Noah relate to the Gospel?

Noah is a type of Christ, as he preached righteousness and exemplified faith, leading others towards salvation through the ark (1 Peter 3:19-20). Noah's relationship to the Gospel is pivotal as he represents obedience and faith in God's promises during a time of great wickedness. In 1 Peter 3:19-20, it is noted that Christ preached to the spirits in prison during the days of Noah, who was a preacher of righteousness while the ark was being prepared. Noah's building of the ark was an act of faith that pointed to salvation through God's provision. The ark itself serves as a metaphor for Christ—just as those within the ark were saved from judgment, those who believe in Christ are saved through His atoning work. Thus, Noah's life exemplifies the principle of faith leading to deliverance, which is a continual theme in the Gospel.

Q: Why is baptism necessary for Christians?

Baptism is necessary as it is a commanded ordinance showing obedience and a profession of faith in Christ (Matthew 28:19). Baptism holds significant importance as an outward sign of inward faith and obedience. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands His disciples to go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This ordinance signifies the believer's identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, marking the beginning of their walk of faith in Him. It is crucial as it not only represents a public declaration of faith but also aligns with God's covenant plan throughout history, emphasizing the believer's commitment to living according to God's commands and participating in the life of the Church. Baptism, therefore, acts as a moment of obedience and testimony to others about the transformative work of Christ in the believer's life.

Seeking for the help of the Lord, I direct your prayer for attention to 1 Peter chapter 3. And this evening we take our text from verse 18 through to the end. This is the 16th of our series in the epistles of Peter. Christ, Noah, and baptism. So from verse 18, For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit, by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison. which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a-preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water, the like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. 1 Peter 3 verses 18 to 22.

The chapter finishes with a view of our Lord risen in heaven. The end really in view of all that the Lord did upon earth and will be the and in view for his people as well. Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory. And the passage with our text closes with this beautiful picture, this blessed picture of our Lord gone into heaven, those everlasting doors open to receive him and is on the right hand of God. And what a picture of glory, of authority, angels and authorities and powers be made subject unto Him. And to think this is our Redeemer, this is our Saviour, this is our Advocate with the Father, this is who is making intercession for us and is pictured in this high, exalted position.

Now last week we considered verses 18 to 17, living as a Christian, and that includes suffering for righteousness sake. And our text then begins with Christ himself not being exempted from suffering. In verse 17, where we finished last time, for it is better If the will of God be so that ye suffer for well-doing, then for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. So I want to look this evening Three points.

Firstly, Christ's sufferings and death is set forth before us in verse 18. And then Noah, the gospel preached to those before Christ died and who did not profit from it. So that's verse 19 to 20. The gospel preached to those before Christ died and who did not profit from it, specifically Noah and in Noah's day. And then lastly, baptism, verse 21, the answer of a good conscience.

But firstly, we have Christ's death and sufferings that are set before us here, and it's used as a help, a consideration for the people of God that are also called to suffer for righteousness sake. When the Lord separates them from this world, when he puts his law in their hearts, when he blesses them with thy word, he says, I've given them thy word and the world hath hated them. And we have as sat before us as a real help in enduring that suffering, that our Lord Jesus Christ went before us in that same way that also hath suffered for sins.

The first thing to really notice is that our Lord is not exempted from it, and we should not think that we will be as well. Our Lord was not spared that suffering. This is what Peter, when our Lord was showing to Peter what would happen, his death, his sufferings, then Peter said, be not that unto thee, O Lord, this shall not be unto thee. And our Lord turned and rebuked Satan, get thee behind me, Satan, thou savest not the things that be of God, but that which is of men. And really, Peter was saying, Lord, thou should be exempted from this. It should not be to thee. And we could have the same thought with ourselves, that we should be somehow exempted.

And of course, it is the Lord that measures out, even amongst the apostles. John died a natural death, though he had sufferings in his life. and banishment, but the other apostles suffered martyrdom. Stephen, the first martyr, stoned, and the list in Hebrews 11, how that they suffered, and through faith they inherited the promises. But many of them, in various different ways, suffered.

Not all of God's people are called to do so. Some are, some are not, even in the same time frame. We think of when we had Queen Mary, and in this part of the country, there were some just under 300 martyrs that were burned at the stake. And you think, well, was that all that there were of Christians in the area? No, there weren't.

But it was those that were in their position in God's providence, they crossed certain individuals, authorities, raised their anger, and they suffered for it. And we are seeing that today. We are seeing pockets of persecution of those in a workplace or those who are preaching the word. And because they would cross particular authorities or individuals, they suffer for it in various ways. And it's not that those in the days of Queen Mary weren't faithful, weren't consistent Christians, that God in his providence didn't call them to suffer in that way. And it was, you might say, localized or appointed. Some suffered, some not.

But here we have set forth our Lord Jesus Christ, that he was not exempted. Perfect, pure, spotless as he was, he was not spared suffering. He was not spared death. He must go through that. And so whatever is our lot and whatever sufferings we are called to go through, Peter, he reminds us that this is what the Lord's what lot was. And we've just said that it was Peter himself that originally said to the Lord, be not this unto thee. And it's Peter here that is writing to strengthen the brethren, really even countering what he had said before and reaffirming that no, Christ must have suffered.

He did suffer. The next thing I'll mention concerning Christ's sufferings. Christ's sufferings is the proper punishment for sin. Whatever sufferings we may have, that is not the punishment for our sin. If we are chastened by the Lord, That chastening is a correction. It is in love. It's a token of sonship. But it's not taking away any of the debt. It's not an equal punishment. If we have something that's a punishment, it must exactly match the offence that has been committed. And whatever we suffer, can never match our sin in Adam or the sin that we've committed.

So we don't view that as actually punishment, but with our Lord, his sufferings really were punishment, not for his sins, but for the sins of his people. So what fell on him was the wrath of God, what fell on him even through the contradiction of sinners against himself, those things were to put away the sins of his people, and he was bearing the punishment that was due to them. It's important for us to realise that distinction in the Lord's sufferings and in our sufferings. The Lord's sufferings actually pays a debt, settles a debt, endures the wrath of God, Whereas ours makes us to see our sin as used under God's hand in chastening to bring us to repentance. And of course, at the last day, those that are outside of Christ, that wrath of God shall fall upon them, the same as it fell on the Lord Jesus Christ. But for his people that view the Lord that see what he has done and by faith view his sufferings and death, view that he suffered for them, those sins are put away. It was a real once forever punishment for sin, the sins of his people that the Lord endured. And this then is made clear in the next paragraph the just for the unjust, or the righteous, innocent one, the holy one, he suffered for the wicked, or the unrighteous one.

And this is what is set before us by Paul in his letter to the Romans. In Romans chapter 5 he speaks of the suffering of our Lord and that when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. Much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. And he says that, for scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. And he is setting forth the The same comparison, Christ is pure and holy and spotless, and we are sinners, we are guilty, it is our debt, our sin, we have incurred it, but it is the Lord that is bearing the wrath of God for him. The just for the unjust. In a way, just in a few words, it is so clearly setting forth the relationship between Christ and his people at that time when he is suffering and putting away their sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Then we have these words that he might bring us to God. It is a grand object of the whole gospel plan. Sin separates, sin has separated, Sin makes us as enemies to God and by wicked works and in our minds. But the whole gospel plan is to bring sinners back to God. Again, we need to remember that it's not to bring us to heaven, though the Lord will do that for his people, but it's to bring us to God.

Men and women today, they think, well, what is it? What's the benefit of being a Christian? Why should we believe? Why should we hear the word preached? Why should we have any concern for our souls? They're looking for some benefit, some reason, something that will be pleasing to them, give them more than their pleasures that they have at the present. and yet not realizing that in their life they're far off from God. No communion, no fellowship, alienated by Him, their creator, their maker, and the one before whom they will stand as their judge. They are completely ignorant of Him. Their languages depart from us. We desire not the knowledge of Thy ways.

That is the state where we are, but God's plan is to bring us to God. And really every dealing of the Lord, every blessing, everything that he works in his people is to that end, to bring us to God. And it begins first, of course, here below, in conviction, that time that a man looks to his maker the time like with the prodigal son, that he began to be in want and then remembered his father's house and returned again to his father's house. Repentance is a turning from going one way to then turning around and going the opposite way, from going far from God to then being brought to go to God. And it's very helpful for us to realize the work of God in our own souls and in our own lives by that effect and that standard. We might think, have we been blessed? Do I know my sins forgiven? Do I know that I'm pardoned? Do I know that I'm a child of God? How can I know that I'm elect?

But when we look at the plan as set before us here, it's to bring us to God. We can ask this. Were we once without God and without hope in the world, and now, through the Lord's work, we are now seeking God. We are now wanting to please Him. We're wanting to know His will, to do His will, and to walk in His ways. And it may be in that we can see more clearly that God's plan and purpose has been realized in our hearts and in our lives. We think of how it was with Ruth. She was joined to Naomi. She loved Naomi.

But part of her testimony was that thy people shall be my people, thy God my God. And she's brought from the God of the Moabites to the true and the living God. And it was through the one that she was joined through in marriage and in God's providence. But again, you can see the purpose of God and what God was doing with her. It's the same with Rahab. She was able to testify to the spies that their God was the true and living God. They'd heard what he'd done at the Red Sea, dividing the Red Sea, and the gods of the Canaanites, they were just idols, they were no true God, but she believed, and as her name is in that role of faith, by faith she believed in the true and living God.

And so The short words here of God's plan. It's good for us to bear that in mind. Is that being wrought out in our hearts and lives? Has it already been wrought out that our object, our desire is to God? And of course it is God manifest in the Lord Jesus Christ, Emmanuel God with us.

God is a spirit. No man has seen God at any time. He does not have parts as eyes or hands or arms or legs. He fills all things from all eternity to eternity. We cannot comprehend the greatness of God. Solomon, he says, the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, how much less this house that I have built. Will God in very deed dwell on the earth?

Well, God did in the person. of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Though we cannot comprehend God outside of Christ, but in Christ we can. And so if we are brought to God, we are brought to the Lord Jesus Christ, whom we see, whom we have set forth in the Scriptures from beginning to end. And it's a best testimony when we have that what our Lord says, no man can come unto me except the Father which sent me draw him, and I'll raise him up at the last day.

And so there being a drawn to Christ or drawn to God, drawn in a way that makes God's plan being realized in our lives. that he might bring us to God. And just joining these few paragraphs together, these two sentences together, we have Christ's suffering at Calvary and the just for unjust, that which was done for us 2,000 years ago and that which in grace is done today and in our lives. And it's a trace the link between the two. That's what Peter is joining here. Christ's sufferings and death and bringing us to God. The two are joined together.

Without Christ's death, without his sufferings, we would not be brought to God. We could not justly be brought to God. But if we are brought to God, we have the one witness that God has said that Christ did die for us. He did put away our sin. He did suffer the wrath of God for us. But then lastly under this hat, just to notice that one suffering was enough. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins. With the Lord's Supper we remember his sufferings, we show forth his death till he come. It is a remembrance service, it is not like the Roman Catholics blasphemous mass which purports to be a fresh sacrifice.

This was also shown in the types in the wilderness, because early on in their journey, Moses was commanded to smite the rock. The Lord said he would stand upon the rock. And the rock then was smitten, and the waters flowed forth, and setting forth Christ, the smitten rock, and the living waters to flow forth from him of the gospel. But later on, when they wanted the waters of strife water, and the people murmured and they stirred up Moses' spirit, the Lord told him then to speak unto the rock. It had already been smitten once. It didn't need to be smitten again.

But Moses, he said must we bring you water out of this rock you rebels and he smoked the rock twice and for that the lord would not let him go into the promised land because the lord said he did not sanctify him before the congregation the gospel is not to be put forth in a way must we bring the gospel to you, must we bring you good news, must we show you salvation, you such rebels.

The Lord speaks of not doing a good deed with a bad spirit and the gospel, the good news of the gospel is not given by God by a bad spirit. is not reluctant, it is freely, lovingly set forth before sinners, and our Lord only needed. There is enough wrath, enough satisfaction, a complete putting away the sin of His people in that one sacrifice, without having to have it repeated again and again. Paul in Hebrews He sets this forth, the blood of bulls and of goats can never take away sins. Those types, those shadows, were offered again and again, but they never put away sin. But Christ, by one sacrifice, hath put away sins forever.

So this is the verse 18, Christ's sufferings and his death. And to look at our second point, which is Noah, the gospel preached to those before Christ died. So we read from verse 19, by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which sometime were disobedient. And once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water." So Christ was put to death in the flesh, quickened or made alive by the Spirit, and here we have a picture, really, of the Gospel being preached in every generation and through all different means. must always remember that right from Abel, right to the last soul, everyone has been saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

To those before Christ suffered, they looked to his sufferings, Hebrews 11 really, they did not see the coming of Christ and Yet we have seen it in the Word of God. We look back to His sufferings. They needed faith to look forward to what He would do. We need faith to look back to what He has done. And the Lord used preaching. He uses preaching today, and He used preaching in Noah's day. Noah was a preacher of righteousness.

We read that the Lord said, that man stays would be 120 years. Well, at that time, of course, they were living 100, 900 years. When Enoch named Methuselah, Methuselah who lived 969 years and died the year of the flood, Methuselah means when he dies, judgment shall come. And Enoch, he walked with God. We are told in Jude that he warned of the judgment to come. He also was a preacher.

And Noah was. That 120 years was the time that the ark was preparing. They waited in the days of Noah while the ark was preparing. 120 years. What a sign that must have been. The ark slowly taking shape and Noah preaching and warning and warning. And what it must have been when the ark was completed and they're bringing all the provisions in. People must, they must have seen all that was going on in over all of that time. On dry land a boat and then in the last week to have all of the animals in a miraculous way. coming to that ark and coming into the ark.

This is a picture that is set before us here, but the first one is of the preaching and a real reminder that they had the means of grace as we have. They had preachers, Enoch and Noah. We're told in the first chapter of Hebrews, that in time past God spoke unto the fathers by the prophets, but in these last days has spoken unto us through his beloved Son. But we would remember that in each day, whether it was through prophets, whether it was through the types and shadows of the sacrifices, through the wilderness journey, whichever way it was, Christ was being preached. Paul speaks of the church in the wilderness, that they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. He was the angel that was with them, that went before them in the wilderness, that went before them into Canaan as well. And so this passage, it takes notice of this, that God uses all means of grace and sets forth the gospel through his beloved son and has done from the beginning of the world, we would remember it's the same sins, it's the same gospel, it's the same punishment for every generation. And so when we read here that about those that were disobedient, those in the days of Noah, when God waited until the ark was prepared, that it's not that he went into hell and preached to them there.

This is speaking that when they were alive, He was preaching to them. Their spirits now are in prison. They are now in hell at this time that Peter is writing. But at that time, they were alive on the earth and having the gospel preached to them. And so that's why it goes from Christ's sufferings and death. And in actual fact, he was preached through Noah to that generation. And those that rejected, they were judged. They were sent to hell. The wrath of God fell upon them. But those eight in the ark, they were saved. They were shut into the ark and saved.

So we have God's patience that's set forth here, what a reminder. God is a patient God, but we shouldn't just presume upon his patience. Also, God is a witness. He knows every generation and every preacher, every sermon. Those things are recorded from the beginning of time to the end. Another real reminder here, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. Again and again, we're reminded of this.

In Abraham, God called him alone. Sodom and Gomorrah, God brought out Lot and his two daughters. There wasn't even found ten there. It shall be said at the end of the world shall he find faith upon the earth. And in this situation just eight souls and the rest were all destroyed.

Our Lord says there's a narrow way and there's a wide way, a broad way. And because many go in at that wide gate and walk that broad way is because the straight gate is straight, is the narrow way, and few there be that find it. We should never be ashamed of being in the minority, never be ashamed of just being amongst the few. The scriptures remind again and again, we think of Daniel's day, three Hebrew children, all of that multitude, all bowing down. but they wouldn't. You think of Daniel and the lion's den and how he was dealt. God's people, very often, they are the few, they are the remnant.

And they are to remember these passages in the scripture. And especially as the world goes on, it is, as our Lord said, as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were buying, they were selling, they were marrying, they were giving in marriage until the flood came and took them all away. And so we have Noah, preacher of righteousness, those he preached to, he preached Christ to. The word was not effective for them. We don't know how many were saved before the flood came. Of course, there may be many. that were saved and passed away before the flood came. But when the flood came, there was just the eight left.

On to look then, thirdly, of baptism. Verse 21, the like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, for the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In verse 18, we have put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit, raised up again. And we have this referred to here, the resurrection of Christ. So when we think of Noah, God gave to Noah faith. He gave him faith and by that faith he obeyed and he built that ark. And in the effect, he was saved by water.

The very elements that destroyed the world were those elements that bore up the ark. The ark is a type of Christ God shut him in to that ark. It was the ark that bare all of the water from above, the water from beneath. Those inside were safe from those destroying elements, but the ark bare all those destroying elements. And as it were, they were shut into that ark like a grave for just over a year. And then resurrected, brought out from that ark, alive and living.

Mine goes to, especially over in Australia where we used to see the great big caterpillars on the gums. And then you wouldn't see the caterpillar, you would see this chrysalis, a cocoon, and it would just look like it was dead and it would just hang there. until the time that it broke open and a beautiful butterfly came out from it. And it had changed completely. What seemed to be dead and all hidden was now life. And if you're looking on the outside of the ark, you'd have seen it all shut up, just this box, this boat floating for all of that time. But then suddenly it opens and there is life. There's all the life coming forth from it. as a resurrection from the dead.

And it was through, in the first place, Noah's faith in God, what God would do, and God shut him into that ark. He was saved by his faith, but also the water and the ark were almost inseparable to it. And so that is the type that is here. Though we look at that from the preaching of the Word as well. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. So as Noah was saved by faith, so God's children also saved by faith. They're justified by the faith of Jesus Christ. Faith in His sufferings, His death, His rising again. And in that way, with Noah, the ark was that type that set that forth.

But for us, and we have it with Pentecost, in the preaching of the gospel, the preachings of the sufferings and the death and rising of the Lord Jesus Christ, those who had faith in that, those that believed in that, and then they sought that they might know what they should do Then the answer that was given them when they were pricked in their hearts and when they were convicted as sinners, it was repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. You shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Now Peter is very clear here that baptism does not put away the filth of the flesh. But it is the answer of a good conscience toward God. There's a couple of ways that that can be viewed. The first is this, because as with Noah, almost it was inseparable. His saving, his faith in how God would save him and the ark and being born up in the water, they were inseparable things. And so our Lord, when he brings the commission to his disciples, we have it in the gospel according to Matthew. And in the end of that gospel, Jesus came and spoke unto them, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you all the way even unto the end of the world. So our Lord inseparably joins that power that He has, the teaching all nations, and baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son. and of the Holy Ghost. And then having said that, teaching them to observe all things. If we know the things that the Lord has commanded us, and not just baptism, but all things, then if we have a tender conscience, we want to observe that. We want to answer that conscience and do what the Lord has actually said. And so in Mark as well, we have the same commission. He said unto them, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned. Let's put it in the words of Noah. Noah that believed and was baptized by being in the ark as God had commanded him to go in, was shut in it, were saved. We think of the same effect with the eunuch after Christ had been preached to him.

Then they come to water. See, here is water. What doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip had obviously said beforehand baptism, like the Lord had commissioned, that was inseparably joined to faith and joined to the proclamation of the word. And so this is the type, the figure, that is set before us. It's a, really, we know it. We're such a spectacle, a public testimony. This is my faith in the Lord. So I'm going to build an ark. And I'm going to go into that ark. And it was a public testimony what he was doing. The faith that God gives is inward. The work is in the heart.

And we have in Romans 10 that with the heart man believeth, but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. When someone is baptized, they're baptized on profession of their faith. And so Peter sets before us a figure, as baptism is a figure, and the answer of it is that that soul is being obedient and also it is clearly setting forth that type of what Christ has done. buried with him by baptism into death, risen again in newness of life, Noah into the ark dead, risen again out of the ark alive. And identifying with what is said here of Christ suffering the just for the unjust to bring us to God, and how that he was put to death in the flesh, but quickened again by the Spirit. The Lord has chosen to use these types, these Old Testament types, and given to the church as well just those two ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Supper, both of them pointing to his death, the baptism pointing to his rising again.

And those who are going through it are publicly testifying of their faith in what Christ has done. that He has died and risen again, and they are saying, that is what I am trusting in. That is my hope for heaven, that Christ has died and risen again. My life is dependent upon His life. Our Lord says, because I live, ye shall live also. It's a testimony of our faith in what Christ has done. And so this is why Peter puts it in this way, the like figure, going from Noah to baptism, believers' baptism, where unto even baptism doth also now save us in these gospel days, not the putting away of the filth of flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are risen in newness of life, that we are brought back to God. If all things are being made new, if the Lord has given us that life, I give unto them eternal life, they shall never perish.

Then this is what he himself has chosen to set it forth in a public way. What if Noah had said that I believe that thou wouldst save me and save my house. But he didn't make the ark. He made it, but didn't go into it. And his faith was shown by his works. That is what James, especially in his epistles, sets forth.

Thou sayest thou hast faith. You show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show you my faith. by my works, and Noah did so, and in our day the equivalent is also in obedience in the ordinances of God's house. So these are the last words in this chapter, the third of Peter, where really in summary we have Christ, we have Noah, and we have baptism. And may the Lord bless us with that same light, precious faith and obedience and to see clearly the end of the Lord to bring us, bring us back to Him, to bring us to Him in time and bring us to Him forever in heaven. And what a blessing to be forever then with the Lord. Amen.

Christ, Noah, and Baptism

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the suffering of Christ?

How do we know baptism saves us?

Why is Christ's suffering important for Christians?

How does Noah relate to the Gospel?

Why is baptism necessary for Christians?

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Christ, Noah, and Baptism

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the suffering of Christ?

How do we know baptism saves us?

Why is Christ's suffering important for Christians?

How does Noah relate to the Gospel?

Why is baptism necessary for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Rowland Wheatley

Comments

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