There are many false teachings out there which claim the name Christianity, yet they do not speak the truth. There is one particular teaching you must be aware of, and that is the teaching that Salvation in Jesus Christ has a counterpart or antitype which comes from the waters of baptism. It refers to 1 Peter 3:18-22. This section can easily be misinterpreted as saying that there is now an anti-type that saves us, baptism…
Do not read that incorrectly, Peter is by no means saying Baptism can save you as well, otherwise that would mean all babies who are sprinkled with some water are all born Christians….What happened to (Romans 10) confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, believing in your heart that God raised him from the dead, and you will be saved! A baby by any means can’t comprehend that, much less make a conscious decision…It is hogwash, and false teaching!
Here is a quote from Bible.org which helps to explain what that means…
“The reason that many of Peter’s readers were suffering was that they had borne witness to their faith in Christ through baptism. Perhaps some had confessed Christ verbally, but were hesitant to confess Him through baptism because they had seen what had happened to others. So Peter here is urging these persecuted Christians to make public confession of their faith through baptism.
Peter is using the flood and deliverance of Noah (the 8 souls) and his family as a loose analogy or type of what is portrayed in Christian salvation and baptism. Just as Noah passed through the flood waters into salvation from God’s judgment, so believers pass through baptism into salvation from God’s judgment. But, before you leap to wrong conclusions, Peter clarifies—it is not the act of baptism which saves (“the removal of dirt from the flesh”), but what baptism signifies—the appeal to God for a good conscience.
“Appeal” can point either to the moment of salvation, when a person cries out to God for cleansing from sin; or, to the pledge given at the baptismal ceremony, when a person promises to live in a manner pleasing to God. Either way, baptism testifies to our faith in Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice on our behalf (3:18). Since Christ’s suffering did not minimize His witness, but rather enhanced it, Peter is urging his readers to be baptized, even if it means persecution, in order to bear witness of Christ’s saving grace.”
Hope that helps a little… So, water does not save you, and scripture does not teach that. There are FAR MORE examples in scripture that support the fact that only through Jesus work on the cross, and ONLY through Blood of Christ, comes Salvation!
Let’s jump to the heart of the evidence, to the end of the BOOK!.. I highlighted the key areas to show the evidence of the blood…Revelation 5:1-10 says…
“5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits[a] of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign[b] on the earth.”
THAT PURCHASE FOR GOD, was you and I my friend! I am sorry, but nowhere does it say “with the water you purchased for God…”…ONLY by the Blood of Christ, the slain Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! The ONLY one who was worthy to take the scroll from the right hand of the throne, was JESUS…the slain Lamb of God!
You and I my friend were purchased by the blood sacrifice of Christ. Furthermore, Hebrews 9:22 indicates…
“In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
Lastly, supporting this is the Tabernacle that God gave instructions…
“According to the law God gave Moses, only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and only once per year on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Before entering, the High Priest washed, put on special clothing, and gathered incense and the blood from a sacrificed animal. Once inside the Holy of Holies, the high priest burned the incense, then sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat of the ark (the lid with the angel figures). This act was part of a ceremony completed every year where the Israelites as a nation would ask God for forgiveness of their sins.”
As you can see, wherever we look, it comes down to a blood sacrifice. Only through the blood is there forgiveness of sins…
For more information or further study, please write us back through the comments section here and we would be happy to start a discussion.
Salvation through the water – DEBUNKED!
Salvation through the BLOOD Sacrifice of Jesus Christ once for all – TRUTH