Saved By Water? 

​It cannot be denied that water is a part of God’s plan to save us all from sin.  This is accomplished through baptism.  Baptism, by definition, is an immersion in water with the purpose of washing away sin (Acts 22:16).  There is no power in the water alone, but the power comes through the blood of Jesus who was made a “sin offering” for us (2 Cor. 5:21).  We must be washed in His blood in order to be saved (Rev. 1:5; 7:14).  That is why throughout the book of Acts, anytime a person was saved, baptism is always mentioned in connection with their salvation.  When the church began on Pentecost Day (AD 33), the Jews who asked what to do to be saved were told, “Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Jesus had already said that His blood would be “shed for many for the remission of sins” (Mat. 26:28). So, the water and the blood work together.  Christ offered His saving blood as a perfect lamb, and we contact His blood through baptism (1 Pet. 1:18,19; Rom. 6:3,4). This became the pattern for all who would be saved and added to the church from that point forward (Acts 2:47).  This is why the Samaritans and Simon were baptized (Acts 8:12,13), as well as all the following: the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:36-38), Paul (Acts 9:18), Cornelius (Acts 10:48), Lydia (Acts 16:14,15), the Philippian jailor (Acts 16:33), the Corinthians (Acts 18:8), and the Ephesians (Acts 19:5).

Peter's Comparison

Peter made an interesting comparison between our salvation and the salvation of Noah and his family (1 Pet. 3:20,21; Gen. 8:18).  Peter said that Noah and his family were “saved by water” (1 Pet. 3:20) and in a similar way, “baptism doth also now save us” (1 Pet. 3:21).  The flood water was the means that “saved” Noah and his family from the wickedness of the world (Gen. 6:5) and the waters of baptism will save us from the wickedness of the world as well (1 Pet. 2:9; 1 John 2:15-17).  The flood waters separated those inside the ark (the obedient) from those outside the ark (the disobedient) as baptism separates the godly (those in the church) from the ungodly (those outside the church) (Eph. 4:22; 5:23). Jesus said we must “believe” and “be baptized” to be saved (Mark 16:16).  There is no other way!  To make it clear that salvation is not just by getting clean in water, Peter says it is the “answer of a good conscience toward God.”  In other words, when a person hears the true Word of God concerning salvation, if they have a good conscience they will be convicted of their sins and “answer” the Gospel call to be saved (2 The. 2:14).  This is only possible because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:1-4; 1 Pet. 1:3; Rom. 6:5; Phi. 3:10). 

Our Response

Maybe you have been taught that faith alone saves and baptism is simply an “outward sign of an inward grace” being unnecessary for salvation. However, the Scriptures plainly state that we are not justified by “faith only” (James 2:24), but we are justified by the blood of Jesus (Rom. 5:9) and by being washed in baptism (1 Cor. 6:11).  Yes, we are saved by grace (Eph. 2:8,9), we are saved by hope (Rom. 8:24) and mercy (Titus 3:5).  Yet, this does not eliminate the necessity of being saved by the Gospel (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 15:1,2) which includes water (Acts 10:47).  Can you say that you are truly saved? The plan is simple.  it takes faith (John 8:24), repentance (Acts 17:30,31), confession of Jesus (Rom. 10:10), and baptism (Mark 16:16).  If you have questions, please feel free to contact us at anytime.