Willful Sin--Can Anyone Be Saved

The text for this article is Heb. 10:26-27, "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. But a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries." (NKJV)

These verses, when read in the King James and the New King James versions of the Bible, have probably caused Christians about as much anguish as any you will find in the pages of the New Testament. Make no mistake about it, the verses are directed at Christians as is the whole book of Hebrews. Each of us knows we are guilty of having committed willful sin, and this passage troubles us. When we read the verses in the larger context of verses 24 through 31 it is very easy to become fearful and feel it is hopeless, we are lost without remedy. We are sorry about our sins, but we feel it is too late.

However, there are things we ought to consider before reaching that conclusion. When we take a look at verse 26 in the New American Standard version we readily see that the verse is not talking about a single act of willful sin. It reads as follows, "For if we go on sinning willfully"; thus the sin of verse 26 is a way of life rather than an individual act of sin. (See also the NIV, which reads, "If we deliberately keep on sinning.")

All sin other than sins of ignorance is willful sin. One may struggle mightily before committing the sin that has enticed him/her, but nevertheless, it was their decision to take the leap and commit it. It was a willful sin in that sense, a sin of personal choice.

If a willful sin of that kind necessarily led to condemnation without hope, then who could be saved? Would it be Peter?

Peter, according to Paul, stood condemned (Gal. 2:11). Why? Because "he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision" (Gal. 2:12 NAS), refusing to eat with the Gentile Christians. Barnabas did the same thing. Do you think this was a sin of ignorance? Paul gives the cause, which was not ignorance but fear of the circumcision party. It was a willful sin in the sense that Peter knew what he was doing. It was a sin committed out of fear, weakness of the flesh, we might say weak knees.

How about the man in 1 Cor. 5:1, "It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife." (NAS) Did this man who was doing this not know it was a sin? You know he did. Yet, in 2 Cor. 2:7 Paul urges the Corinthians to forgive the man as he had repented. I remind the reader that Paul wrote and spoke by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

2 Cor. 12:21 clinches the meaning of Heb. 10:26 for me. It reads as follows, "I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced." (NAS) What do we have here? Christians practicing sin. That implies certainly that we are not talking of one-time acts. Are they lost?

Yes, if they do not repent, but please note that is the very thing Paul is saying they can do. Why is Paul fearful that he may end up mourning? Because they have not repented, but that implies they could if they would, and thus could be forgiven. We also understand they knew what they were doing. The word translated "immorality" in this verse in the NAS is translated in the NKJV and others as "fornication." It is the Greek word "porneia." Do you really believe these people did not know fornication was sinful? They were committing willful sin, and yet we see they could be forgiven if they would but repent.

What then is the meaning of Heb. 10:26-27? Any sin you knowingly commit and continue is a willful sin as long as you continue in it and fail (refuse) to repent. While involved in that, there is no sacrifice for that sin that can save you as a willful practicing sinner. When you repent, that is another matter.

I believe verse 27 bears the truth of this interpretation. It says of such a person (a Christian involved in a sin on a continual basis willfully) that there is "a certain fearful expectation of judgment." (NKJV) Why would you fear judgment if you were a complete apostate who no longer believed? What you are is a man who believes but willingly persists in sin. Such a man fears judgment.

Do not despair because you knowingly did that which was wrong, even if you engaged in such a sin over a period of time. Do not despair, but rather repent and turn back to God. God is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV) "'For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,' says the Lord GOD. 'Therefore turn and live!'" (Ezek. 18:32 NKJV) God will always have the one who is truly penitent back if that one will only come back.

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Living In Grace Day By Day

Many years ago I got into a discussion with the editor of one of the religious periodicals over the topic of how a Christian is cleansed from sin that he may commit from time to time. He had taken the position that a Christian had to confess every single sin he committed or else he was lost. There was a general debate among brethren back then about this topic which they were calling "continual cleansing." I am not here to opine on that doctrine except in the case of sins of ignorance.

I think most Christians agree that when a Christian sins, he must repent of his sins and confess them to the Father in prayer, asking for forgiveness, and, depending on the particular sin and the circumstances surrounding it, there may be a need to confess to others as well, asking their forgiveness, even before the church in some instances. Some think that it is never necessary to publicly confess sins but I am not one of them. All sin is against God but some sin is against others as well (Matt. 18:21, 1 Cor. 8:12) and one can commit sin against the church (1 Cor. 10:32, 1 Cor. 11:22, Gal. 1:13). We need to confess to whomever we have sinned against and all sin is against God at a minimum.

The editor I am speaking of years ago was taking the confession of sin to an extreme so that any sin not confessed to the Father doomed one, including sins of ignorance. Now if it was hardness of heart and impenitence that prevented one from confessing a sin, that is one thing, but ignorance is quite another. Sins committed in ignorance cannot be repented of and confessed unless it is at a later date, when one knows more, and has learned better, and remembers his past.

However, remembering is part of the problem, a big part of it. We do not realize we have sinned, so the event or occasion when we sinned does not stick in our memory. There was no reason to remember what to us at the time was meaningless. We generally remember the evil we have done, but if we did not consider our action at the time we did it evil, we are not likely to remember it a few days down the road, to say nothing of years down the road.

Now do not get me wrong, ignorance is not an excuse for sin. If ignorance excuses sin, then all those living in lands where they have never had the opportunity to hear the gospel are saved and are better off if they never have an opportunity to hear it. If ignorance were an excuse for sin, we would all be better off remaining ignorant. If ignorance excuses sin, one can be saved without the gospel, and the Great Commission does more harm than good.

Nevertheless, there was a problem with my editor brother's position. It is impossible for the Christian to know every single sin he has committed, even as he attempts to live the Christian life in all sincerity and faithfulness. I am to obey the laws of the land, of the government under which I live, but as I drive down the highways and streets of this country, I do not see every speed limit sign. Am I eternally lost because I violated a traffic law I was unaware of? I am certainly guilty under the law, but am I guilty and condemned under grace?

There is no Christian security, no sense of peace, no freedom from fear of condemnation, no assurance of salvation, and no sense of living under grace versus law when we go that far afield. John said he wrote 1 John so "that your joy may be full" (1 John 1:4 NKJV), but where is the joy if I must live in fear of my ignorance? I wonder how many sins we have all committed in our lives when, at the time we committed them, we had no idea we were sinning?

Is the teenager who has just been baptized supposed to have the knowledge and understanding of the faithful Christian who has read and studied for 50 years? Is there no room under the grace system under which we live for growth in knowledge and understanding? "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18 NKJV)

So what is my point? It is we live under grace, not law. We do not know every sin in our life or sin that has been there in the past. We repent of and confess what we know, which is all we can do. I think it likely that many, perhaps most, add in their prayers to God a request that they be forgiven for all those sins of which they are unaware or know not, even as they confess the sins they do know.

Do you know every commandment found in your New Testament and exactly how to apply each one of them in every possible scenario that arises in your life? Can you define every sin listed in the New Testament? Tell me the difference between a temptation which is not sin, according to the New Testament, and an evil thought which is (Mark 7:20-23); draw me a line in the sand and tell me exactly when one crosses over into the other. Is the thought only classified as evil when it is acted upon and thus becomes sin retrospectively only because it was acted on?

At what exact point in time does self-esteem turn into pride, which is sin? Draw the line in the sand and tell us exactly when. My point is there are a lot of things that are black and white when we see them in the extremes, but who is so perfect in judgment as to be able to draw these lines when they are not so extreme? We can certainly be ignorant of crossing the line on occasion. These are only examples of many similar things that could be listed.

I want to make it clear I believe in strict commandment keeping. I could list verse after verse on the need to obey from the pages of the New Testament. Every reader of the New Testament knows that, but the bottom line is we are saved by grace and not by perfection in law-keeping.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Eph. 2:8-9 NKJV) "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." (Gal. 2:21 NKJV) The word "the" that comes before the word "law" in Gal. 2:21 just quoted is an added word, added by the translators, which is not in the Greek, thus Young's Literal Translation of the Bible translates the passage, "I do not make void the grace of God, for if righteousness be through law--then Christ died in vain."

John tells the Christian how he is saved day by day in 1 John 1:7, "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." (NKJV) The word "cleanses" in this passage is in the present tense, meaning it is a constant process, a continual thing. Commentator Guy N. Woods says of the cleansing of this verse by the blood of Jesus that "it cleanses from sin, not merely or solely the conscience, but sin (amartias), all sin, whether of thought, word, or deed, rash sins, sins of ignorance, of malice, of omission or commission, sins of the flesh, sins of the disposition, sins of pleasure or of pain, sins of every type and kind committed at any time or place." (See his commentary on 1 John 1:7.) I quoted this only because Woods mentions "sins of ignorance."

E. M. Zerr in his commentary on 1 John 1:7 says, "If a man is a worker in the Lord's vineyard and his life as a whole is one of obedience to the law of Christ, he does not need to worry about the mistakes he might make which he does not realize, for the blood of Christ will take care of it and wash them away." I agree.

But what does it mean to "walk in the light?" (1 John 1:7) The Bible describes God's word as light. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalms 119:105 NKJV) "The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple." (Psalms 119:130 NKJV) To walk in the light is to walk in or by God's word. It is to be directed by God's word, which is the same as to be directed by God.

But it might be objected that would require perfection in the knowledge of the word, and anything short of that would not be truly walking in the word, in the light. I concede it does place a responsibility on a man to not be lazy or lukewarm in studying and learning God's word. If we fail to walk in God's word because we were too indifferent and uncaring to find a desire to read and study the word, how can we expect our sins committed in ignorance to be forgiven when it was willful ignorance we lived in? There comes a point in time when we are old enough in the faith to know better, as the saying goes, but even then we each have different God-given abilities to learn and retain knowledge.

Whatever subject a person sets out to learn, it takes time, and that goes for learning God's will as well. Peter said to those new in the faith, "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby." (1 Peter 2:2 NKJV) God thus allows for growth, and no babe ever becomes an adult overnight. Elsewhere the writer of the book of Hebrews says, "Everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe." (Heb. 5:13 NKJV) If he is unskilled, it surely means he has a ways to go to maturity, and thus is prone to sins of ignorance.

Heb. 5:14 sums up the end goal of spiritual growth in knowledge, "But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Heb. 5:14 NKJV) It thus takes time.

Yes, I believe we must repent of and confess every sin to God of which we are aware to be forgiven. John teaches, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9 NKJV) I also agree, as already stated, that those too indifferent to study and learn are not going to get a free pass because of ignorance. I would also include in that group those who through hardness of heart are unable to learn the truth (God will judge). But to say a Christian man or woman who has a good and honest heart yet sins in ignorance, and thus fails to repent of that sin and confess it, is condemned, is a thing I do not see the Bible teaching.

Walking in the light is the key (1 John 1:7), but the best any man can do is walk in the light he presently has. I have more light today than I had 30 years ago because I know more today than I did then. How about you? You surely know more today than you did 5 or 10 years ago.

I am satisfied I have taken the correct position on this subject, for the opposing position puts us back under a strict law-keeping system for salvation where one slip-up through ignorance condemns you. Furthermore, that position requires that one be fully mature from the moment he arises out of the waters of baptism in both knowledge and understanding. That just cannot be correct.

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Indifference -- The Great Destroyer

Indifference refers to an attitude held by a person indicating a lack of zeal, commitment, and concern regarding whatever that individual is indifferent toward.

I do not know of anything a person can succeed at long term with indifference dominating him or her. Natural talent will only take a person so far. There comes a time when to succeed you have to buckle down, get serious, and do the work. This is true of the great athletes of the world, the great musicians, of people who are highly successful in their fields, and even the Einsteins of the world, and so how much more so of you and me?

Of course, we are talking here about the significant things in life, things that matter and make a difference. If you want to get a degree or degrees, a good education, if you want to have a successful marriage, if you want to succeed in your job or vocation, and if you want to go to heaven, you cannot be indifferent. Yes, and if you want to go to heaven.

We are living in a time of a great falling away from spiritual matters, from Christianity. The percentage of what are called the “Nones” continues to grow. “Nones” are those who have abandoned faith in any kind of religion. More and more people are coming to the decision that they do not need God in their life and they are not searching for him.

From an article on the religionnews.com website published Aug. 5, 2019, I quote the title of an article found there, “‘Nones’ now as big as evangelicals, Catholics in the US.” The article itself was dated March 21, 2019, but put online August 5th. It may or may not be online by the time you read this and the numbers will no doubt change with time, becoming more or less, but that has been and remains the trend over the past several years.

Most churches I know about, living as I do in the rural Midwest, have declined drastically in membership over the last 50 years, some having closed their doors and others are on the verge of doing so. People have lost interest in Christianity which is another way of saying they have become indifferent. They are not seeking and thus they shall not find. “Seek, and you will find.” (Matt. 7:7 NKJV)

If God and his word are matters of no serious concern to me, if God is only going to make my top 100 list of the most important things to me in my life, if he gets that high, then realistically what kind of hope do I have of salvation, of going to heaven? To be indifferent is to not care. If you do not care about God, about his will, about going to heaven, if you are disinterested in living a Christian life, what joy do you bring to God? You bring grief and sorrow like Israel and Judah in the Old Testament before they went into exile, but joy, no.

But, there is a lot of indifference abounding in many who proclaim Christianity. It is not just the “Nones.” A lot has been made of the fact that salvation from sin is a free gift from God. This, while true, is seldom understood properly because seldom taught properly. People have gotten it into their minds that their soul’s salvation is solely dependent on God. This lends itself to indifference. There is nothing for me to do if God is going to do it all. No need to seek God, from their point of view, despite the fact he says in his word, “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.” (Heb. 11:6 NKJV)

The idea people seem to have is there is no need to study the Bible; God is love; God is grace; God is going to save everyone no matter what he or she believes or practices just as long as the person believes that Jesus is the Son of God and Savior of the world. That belief can be held in the most abstract sort of way, divorced from all action and commitment, and many doing so believe their salvation is secure. Put another way you can be indifferent and go to heaven.

Attend services wherever you so desire, no matter what they teach or practice, or don’t attend anywhere if you don’t want to, and it will make no difference just as long as you believe in Jesus seems to be the idea so many hold today. That is generally the Christian (?) world we live in, in America. False teaching along this line has led to a lot of the indifference we see.

Indifference is one natural byproduct of denominationalism. If it really does not matter what you believe or practice, just so you believe in Jesus, then certainly one can be indifferent about both doctrine and practice. What difference does it make about either if we are all going to be saved anyway? Why does the church matter? Thus many, perhaps most, could jump from one denominational church to another without qualms.

The scariest thing for me when it comes to one’s loved ones having indifference towards God and salvation, toward spiritual matters, is that indifference is one of those types of sins that are nearly impossible to get people to see and thus to own up to and repent of. They do not see themselves as being indifferent but are satisfied they are doing all that is necessary for salvation, even though it is nothing, and they believe they will be saved as they are. Nothing is necessary for salvation for God will take care of it all is the thinking. This is a perversion of Eph. 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (NKJV)

The modern-day exegesis of this passage is that man has absolutely no obligations in any way toward God. There is no need to read his word, there is no need to worship, there is no need to obey the commandments. Just show up at Judgment Day and all will be fine. Heb. 5:9 thus becomes meaningless, “And having been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” (NKJV)

Indifference is accompanied by satisfaction. The satisfied do not repent. The satisfied do not seek, knock, or search in any way for anything for satisfied is satisfied as is. It becomes, as a result of that, nearly impossible to get people who fit into that state of mind to a mindset of repentance. They are not interested in studying or searching the scriptures for they are indifferent and content.

What does the Bible say or teach about indifference?

One of the first passages that comes to mind is Rev. 3:15-16 where Jesus is directing a message to the members of the church at Laodicea and says, “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth.” (Rev. 3:15-16 NKJV)

Jesus is talking to Christians here. Does it sound like they are in a saved state? If you will read one verse further (verse 17) Jesus goes on explaining, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing.’” (Rev. 3:17 NKJV) They were perfectly satisfied. Please note carefully the words from this passage, “have need of nothing,” expressing their satisfaction. They were indifferent toward doing anything other than what they were doing.

“If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15 NKJV) Can one go to heaven who does not love God? “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed.” (1 Cor. 16:22 NKJV) How do you keep the commandments if you are indifferent? Is love indifferent? Is love uncommitted?

In another statement, Jesus said, “Whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27 NKJV) What kind of cross does the indifferent person bear for Christ? Can such a person be a disciple of Jesus? What does the text say?

In the Old Testament God said with respect to the people of Israel through the prophet Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6 NKJV) If it happened to them could it not happen to people today? The indifferent cannot gain knowledge of God for the attitude of indifference creates no desire to seek and learn. Mr. Indifference is also Mr. Satisfied with the way things are and with what little knowledge he already has.

Jesus said, “Seek, and you will find,” (Matt. 7:7 NKJV) but one’s indifference keeps him from seeking and thus from finding. We are to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matt. 6:33 NKJV) but the indifferent have no will to seek let alone seek first.

The Bible teaches the love of God, or love for God, is keeping his commandments. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” (1 John 5:3 NKJV) Jesus said, “He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me.” (John 14:21 NKJV) “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word.” (John 14:23 NKJV) “He who does not love me does not keep my words.” (John 14:24 NKJV)

The indifferent cannot do that. Why? Because he/she is too indifferent to read, study, and learn the word that Jesus would have them keep. They are satisfied with what they have. They will never wear a Bible out from use. They do not know the truth from study of the truth. What they know is only what they have heard which may or may not be the truth and what they believe is that which has satisfied them whether it be truth or error (they know not the difference).

Many are going to die eternally simply because they did not care enough to be saved. Jesus taught a great deal about the idea of being ready, of making preparation, for his return and the Day of Judgment. The parable of the ten virgins comes immediately to mind. Another passage that comes to mind is found in Matt. 22:11, the account of the man who came into the wedding unprepared and as a result was cast out.

The indifferent, due to that indifference, are negligent and do not prepare and consequently, unless they can be brought to a change of heart cannot be saved. They live in a continual state of unpreparedness.

Indifference is a symptom of a spiritually diseased heart. The heart is not where it ought to be as it is concentrated on the self and this world. It is full of pride; I’m okay; I don’t need any more religion than I have. It is presumptuous and assumes God will save me as I am. It is rebellious against God (we will do it my way).

The question becomes, for those of us who care about people we fear may be in this state, is what can we do about it? Here I must stop. I cannot write any more, for how does one answer this question? If a person is indifferent, satisfied, does not care, then how do you get them to care? This is why this is one of the most fearful sins a person will ever run up against. How do you get a person to care that does not care? How do you move a satisfied person into a state of dissatisfaction where he can repent?

If a person has committed a sexually immoral sin or sins of many other kinds, sinful acts versus sinful attitudes, he/she probably knows what they did was wrong and feels some pang of guilt. There is hope there. You can get a person like that to repent but how do you get the indifferent, those who do not care, to repent? It is your turn now to write the next article and tell me the answer.

(Originally written in 2011, revised since then.)

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How Was Noah Saved Through Water

How was Noah and his family saved through water? Peter, in 1 Peter 3:20-21, says they were but just how is a little hard to understand without some study and thought. The passage reads as follows: "When once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (NKJV)

How was Noah and his family saved through water? What was he saved from? What is an antitype? Was he saved by grace or by works (he did build the ark)? There are a lot of questions. Let us start from the beginning.

We are all aware of the story of how the flood came about. After God made man in due time mankind came to be great sinners before God. "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Gen. 6:5 NKJV) God determined to destroy man for his evil, an evil so great it grieved God in his heart and made him sorry he had created man. (Gen. 6:6-7)

However, the text then says, "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." (Gen. 6:8 NKJV) One cannot emphasize too much the teaching of this text. However, the story of Noah and his salvation goes against almost everything that men today have to say about grace. Grace today, as men see it, means you need to do nothing at all toward your own salvation other than believe in Jesus. If more was required of you that would be, so they reason, salvation by works.

How did God show Noah grace? Was it not by telling him what was going to happen (judgment was to befall the inhabitants of the earth and life on the earth be destroyed) and what he (Noah) needed to do to save himself? That was it exactly.

But, in today's world of so-called Christendom, this is not grace. Why? Because Noah had to work, some say, based on Gen. 6:3, one hundred and twenty years on the ark. Peter spoke of the longsuffering of God waiting in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared (1 Peter 3:20) so it was no short-term project. Noah received grace but had something to do, an obligation to fulfill if he was to be saved. Being saved by God's grace does not mean man has no part in his salvation, that man has nothing to do. Ask Noah.

There is also one other very important New Testament verse on Noah's salvation. "By faith Noah, being divinely warned (God's grace-DS) of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith." (Heb. 11:7 NKJV) Noah was saved by grace (God's giving him warning and instruction) and by faith (he believed what God had told him without which he would have been doomed) and he was saved by works for he built the ark which afforded him safety.

We can easily see in Noah's case how grace, faith, and works all combined to bring about his salvation, and yet we somehow or another seem to be blinded to the fact all three work together today in the Christian era to bring about man's spiritual salvation. James himself declares "faith without works is dead" (James 2:26 NKJV) but no one seems to take him seriously. We say if a man is baptized to be saved it is being saved by works and thus ridicule the idea. Why do we not ridicule Noah who built an ark (worked) to be saved?

Is it ignorance, is it prejudice, or is it something else? I have no answer. This much I do know—Noah was saved by grace through faith the same as we are today (Gen. 6:8, Heb. 11:7). He was moved so much by faith that it instilled within him "godly fear" (Heb. 11:7) and put a diligent work (or obedience) ethic into his life. "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:26 NKJV) which is exactly where Noah would have been without works.

There is a difference between a work of obedience to God's command and a work that merits salvation. The Bible condemns the latter. You cannot merit your way to heaven by works. Don't you think Noah was well aware that the God who caused the flood was just as capable of capsizing the ark Noah had built if he chose to do so? Do you really believe that people who believe the Bible teaches that baptism is necessary to be saved think that they are saving themselves apart from God when they are baptized? If the ark of salvation floats, whether it be Noah's or our own, it is only because the grace of God allows it.

How was Noah and his family saved through water? By water, they were saved from a sinful world, separated from it, separated to God. They became creatures in a new world, one without sin. The water that brought death to others brought life to them as it lifted the ark up placing them in a place of safety above the waters of destruction.

Do you think it strange that the water that brought salvation to the eight brought death to the multitudes? One cannot help but think of the waters of baptism of our own era. The water that brings salvation to some (Mark 16:16) will bring death to others who are willingly disobedient to the command.

This brings us to Peter's use of a word, a word somewhat strange to many, the word "antitype," used in verse 21 in the New King James Version, and also the word that is found in the Greek text. Let me quote that to you again. "There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism." (NKJV) Some of the more modern versions phrase it like the ESV or nearly so, "Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you." The New American Standard is very close to this when it says, "And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you." Many of the things in the Old Testament symbolized or we might say were types of things that would come to be under Christ in the new dispensation. The waters of the flood in the days of Noah were the type while baptism today is that which corresponds to it, baptism is the antitype.

The text does not say baptism is a symbol of salvation already achieved; it says it "saves us." If we wish to deny that baptism saves us today we do two things. (1) We deny the very words of the text of Peter. (2) We put Peter in the position of having misspoken about all of this. If our baptism is not an antitype, does not save, then Peter misspoke. If our baptism is an antitype then baptism saves (no one says it saves alone without grace and faith).

What did the water do for Noah and how does it correspond to baptism today? (1) Both place those who are obedient by faith (believers) into a new spiritual world. The world Noah entered through water was cleansed of sin. The world we enter when baptized is a spiritual world that has been cleansed of sin, our personal sin. [see Acts 22:16, Acts 5:25-26, Titus 3:5] (2) Both salvations were by grace for Noah was warned and given an opportunity for salvation and so are you and I. God was under no obligation to warn Noah and give him a way to be saved and the same can be said of you and me today thus both were acts of grace.

I would not begin to know how many verses there are in the New Testament telling us about baptism and our need for it but let me give it a shot—Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21, John 3:5, Eph. 5:26, Col. 2:11-12, Titus 3:5, Mark 16:16, Matt. 28:18-20, Rom. 6:3-6, Gal. 3:26-27, 1 Cor. 12:13, Heb. 10:22. These were just those that came to mind without using a concordance. I barely touched the Book of Acts.

Like Noah, we have been given a warning. We will like him be obedient with "godly fear" or else we will take God on by being disobedient. Who do you think is really saved by grace? Is it the man who hears and believes and obeys or is it the man who hears and disbelieves and does not obey? Who truly has "the answer of a good conscience toward God"? (1 Peter 3:21 NKJV) I am sure Noah's conscience was clear as he obeyed God and did all he was told out of faith. How does a man have "a good conscience toward God" all the while being disobedient? Will he say I didn't know? Will he say I heard the passages, I read them, I just did not believe them? Will he tell God it was God's fault for being unable to communicate effectively?

What saved Noah? The answer is God's grace, Noah's faith, and Noah's obedience. If you and I are saved today it will be because of God's grace, our faith, and our obedience. When we speak of obedience we are talking about works of obedience, that is faith obeying. Yes, everything depended on God's grace for without it Noah was helpless, a doomed man. The same can be said of you and I but just like Noah we must act if God's grace is to benefit us. We must believe and respect God enough to obey him.

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