Intro: He had been cheating on his taxes. It was really bothering his conscience. So he sat down and wrote a letter to the IRS. "Dear IRS, I have not been claiming all of my income and have therefore not been paying all of the taxes I owe. As a result, I have not been able to sleep at night. Enclosed is a check for $2,000. If I still can't sleep at night, I will send you the rest."
Someone has said, is “Conscience is a mother-in-law whose visit never ends.”
Mark Twain said, “Man is the only animal that blushes, and the only animal that needs to.”
We are ashamed, are we not, of things we've done in the past? Instead of being able to talk to God or to look one another in the face, we want to run away and hide when our conscience troubles us.
Where will I ever get a clean conscience? There are a few techniques that the world has suggested:
1. Convince myself that what I‘ve done isn’t so bad
Sydney J. Harris – “Once we assuage our conscience by calling something a "necessary evil," it begins to look more and more necessary and less and less evil.”
The problem is that sometimes what we’ve done is so bad that we aren’t that convincing.
2. Surround myself with people who are so bad I look good. “The Double Stuff diet.” Just buy a lot of Oreo double stuff cookies for all the people around you. Eventually, you’ll look thinner.
The problem is that you can’t always be surrounded by people, let alone people who make you look good. Plus, exploiting other people’s faults only makes your conscience feel worse!
3. Commit enough sin that my conscience becomes seared.
This can actually happen. But anyone who cares about a clear conscience can’t seriously think about this one.
4. Do enough good that it somehow makes up for it
This is a common attempt to have a clean conscience. I even saw, in a magazine article, advice that said you need to go out and do some act that’s opposite of the bad you did – that you need to “atone” for your bad deed. If you kicked a dog, volunteer at an animal shelter, things like that. The problem with this is that it doesn’t ever take away what you’ve done. The dog is still kicked, and the guilt you have for doing it will still be there too.
The only way: Somehow have guilt removed. That’s really the only way that works.
That brings us to where we are today: We need something that will cleanse our consciences from what we’ve done. So, I want us to look at a bit of Scripture today that specifically talks about how that can happen.
Ill – A lady once argued with my dad about the necessity of baptism. After getting nowhere with her, my dad said, “I suppose if there was a verse in the Bible that just flat-out said that baptism saves you, you would believe it then?” She said yes, and my dad showed her this passage. (I Peter 3:18-21)
We don’t want to take this out of context. That would be proof-texting, and misusing the Bible. We don’t want to do that. I’d rather consider all that the Bible says about a subject and understand what the Lord meant for us to believe. That’s why we’ve spent some weeks on this whole topic of Crossing Over, and it’s not until today that we’re really ready to talk about the role that baptism has in that.
When we talk about baptism, our first thoughts usually aren’t about Noah. I guess that’s because in the story of Noah, the people who were in the water never came back up! But Peter has no problem at all looking back at the ark, the flood, and Noah, and saying it corresponds to baptism.
1 Peter 3:18-21 (NASB) For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
This is story of a lifeboat; a lifeboat that gives…
I. Salvation from Judgment
After 1500 years of making a mess of creation, mankind reached the point where God said, “Enough!” He was going to destroy the earth and start over. That’s what he told Noah in Gen 6:17. Everything that lived and breathed was going to be wiped out, including people.
If Noah was going to survive it, he’d need a lifeboat! Being outside of it meant death. Being inside meant he’d live.
Do you notice this recurring theme? There are only 2 groups: inside the boat or outside the boat. Coincidence? I doubt it! The Bible keeps presenting us with the fact that there are 2 groups – inside or outside! We need to be on the inside, don’t we?!
Peter recalls that God sent a terrible judgment, but that 8 people were saved. God was patient enough to wait some 75 years while Noah completed this project. Then came the flood. The fountains of the deep were opened, and it rained for 40 days and nights. The water covered the face of the earth. And, Peter says, there’s a lesson in this for us – a foreshadowing of something later. This whole story is an illustration of what happens at baptism.
If you’re paying attention, you’re going, “Wait, the water is what destroyed people, not what saved them!” OK, water doesn’t save you. (Hang onto that.) And, all illustrations break down at some point. But when the Bible takes a Bible story and says, “Here’s something you can learn from this Bible story!” I’m going to listen! Let’s not complicate this. Peter’s point is pretty simple – God was sending judgment, God sent a way to be saved – a lifeboat, and 8 people were saved.
There certainly is a final judgment coming. Jesus spoke about it…a lot. And God has provided a lifeboat. I want to be on the lifeboat here! Peter uses this opportunity to say that the thing that saves you is [baptism]. He simply says, remember the story. God saved 8 people on a lifeboat through a great judgment, and that’s a reminder to you and me of the way we can be saved. And the name of that lifeboat? SS Baptism – which now saves you.
II. Water on the Outside, Cleansing on the Inside
Ill - A little girl named Betsy had faithfully attended baptism classes at her church. Her mother, wanting to be sure her daughter understood its significance, asked her, "Honey, what does baptism mean?"
Betsy said, "Well, it isn't the water that makes you clean ..."
And her mom began thinking to herself, “Yes, she understands!”
“It isn’t the water that makes you clean. It’s the soap.”
Peter wants us to understand it’s not the water of baptism that makes us clean. And, no Betsy, there’s usually no soap involved. After all, baptism isn’t a bath to get the dirt off of our outsides.
But crossing over to life in Jesus does somehow involve a washing.
Acts 22:16 (NIV)
16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'
Hebrews 10:22 (NIV)
22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Ephesians 5:25-26 (NIV)
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
Titus 3:5 (NIV)
5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
There is an inner washing that happens to us when we cross over into life with Jesus!
Have you ever been dirty, to the point where you’re just longing to get a bath or shower? “Yeah, after sitting through the preview of '50 Shades of Gray'!” Or maybe you’ve been on a camping trip or put in a hard day where you were just so dirty you couldn’t wait to be clean again.
And then, after a nice shower or bath, how do you feel? Aaaah!
I need to be washed! Only, it’s not on the outside. Mom was right, that needs it too, but there’s a more important washing here that God is addressing in our lives – it’s inward. It’s not the removal of dirt from the flesh. I need a clean conscience, and that’s more than water alone can do. I need my sins washed away! I need to be made holy! I need a rebirth!
When we get into this lifeboat called baptism, there’s something much greater than a bath of our bodies going on. Look at v21 again. It’s about getting a clean conscience, not a clean body.
The lifeboat also marks…
III. A Break from the Past Life
The earth was radically changed by the flood. Peoples’ lifespans changed. The climate changed. The earth would need to be repopulated. Then, think about how Noah’s life would never be the same. He’d be able to look back at that year of his life he spent on the ark and say, “God saved me from a terrible calamity.”
When he stepped onto the ark and God closed the door, Noah was making a permanent break from his past life. It was a very tangible event. He was leaving behind the world of his day. He was entering into a relationship with God that was completely dependent upon God. He was taking his family with him. And when he came out on the other side of this event, life would be quite different.
Once again, the HS had Peter use this story for a reason. Baptism is a very tangible event that marks an important change in our lives – a break from the past, a time when we surrender our futures to God; and when we come out on the other side of this event, life is quite different.
Ill - William P. Barker tells of a machinist at Ford Motor Company in Detroit who became a Christian. He responded to the invitation and was baptized. As the Holy Spirit began renewing this man he became convicted of his need to make restitution for some parts and tools he had stolen from the company prior to becoming a Christian. So the next morning he brought all the tools and parts back to his employer. He explained how he had just been baptized and asked for his foreman’s forgiveness.
This was such an amazing turn of events that Mr. Ford, who was visiting a plant in Europe at the time, was cabled with this story and asked what to do. Henry Ford immediately returned a cable with his decision: “Dam up the Detroit River, and baptize the entire city.”
The change at baptism is so significant that in Romans 6, Paul says…
Romans 6:4-5 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
This lifeboat serves as a reminder to all of us that we will one day die. The fact is, when we physically die, in a sense we’re just catching up with our baptism. And it’s a reminder to us that, if we’re going to cross over from death into life, we must die.
Ill – Out of a book of missionary stories comes this story from the island of Barbados. When the gospel was first preached there, several accepted the invitation to be baptized. When they arrived at the water for the baptismal service the women were dressed in nightgowns and the men in striped pajamas. The missionaries were afraid this might be misunderstood and urged the people to change their clothes. They refused. So, they reluctantly went ahead and baptized them, but they wanted to make sure this didn’t happen again. Before the next time for a baptism, the missionaries attended a funeral and noticed the body of the person who had died was dressed in pajamas. It was explained, "We believe when a person dies, he goes to sleep, so we are buried in our sleepwear." Then, the missionaries understood. Baptism is a burial. They had explained it that way, so the people who came to be baptized came dressed for their burial. (We’ll still provide a robe here. You don’t have to bring your jammies!)
But we will always teach that this event in your life, this time when you are buried with Jesus, marks the beginning of a brand new life in Jesus.
The lifeboat also provides…
IV. Assurance from God, on His Terms
Noah believed God. How can I say that so confidently? Because he did all God told him to!
It had never rained. There had never been a worldwide flood. The time and materials to build the ark became his life’s preoccupation. No one would do all that without some good reasons.
God told Noah,
Genesis 6:17-18 (NASB)
17 "Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. 18 "But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife, and your sons' wives with you.
Then God told Noah the details for the ark. By the way, the dimensions and design of the ark are ideal for a vessel that needed to stay afloat. And Noah did all that the Lord commanded.
We don’t have Noah saying, “Lord, maybe You could cut back on the number of animals and we could scale this down!” or “Maybe You could keep the flood more localized and we’ll all just move.” Noah didn’t say, “Lord, have You seen the price of pitch? Maybe we could skip that part of it!”
God told Noah, “Do this thing, this way, and I will establish My covenant with you.” He had God’s promise – and it had to be on God’s terms. And he did all that the Lord commanded.
I can’t say to someone, “Hey, I forgive your sins!” or, “I know that God said, this, but I’m going to adjust it a bit in your case.” Only God can do that. I’m thinking, if you’re struggling this morning, you probably don’t need to hear, “I’m like 50% sure you’re forgiven.” No! You need 100% assurance, don’t you? Where will you get that? It’s going to have to come from God Himself, and it’s going to have to come on His terms, not someone else’s.
God says you can have a…
1. Clean conscience now
Let’s go back to v.21. This gets translated in 1 of 2 ways. Frankly, one is a better translation. The question at hand is, “When you’re baptized, are you making a pledge to God, or are you asking God to cleanse you?”
Holman Christian Standard and New International Version translate this one word as “pledge.” Baptism is the “pledge of a good conscience.”
(HCSB)
…the pledge of a good conscience toward God)…
(NIV)
…the pledge of a good conscience toward God….
The majority of translations are more honest with the text here.
NASB, ESV, RSV have this word as “an appeal.” Baptism is “an appeal to God for a good/clear conscience.” Weymouth “the craving of a good conscience after God…” The Bible in Basic English has it, “…by making you free from the sense of sin before God…”
(NASB) …an appeal to God for a good conscience…
(ESV) …an appeal to God for a good conscience…
(RSV) …an appeal to God for a clear conscience..
(Weymouth) …the craving of a good conscience after God…
(Bible in Basic English) …by making you free from the sense of sin before God,
When I was baptized, July 24th, 1972, I wasn’t doing something for God. I was asking God to do something for me! Think about it. You don’t climb into a lifeboat because you want to honor the boat manufacturer. You climb into the lifeboat because you don’t want to drown!
In the 1700’s, in the wake of the Great Awakening and what followed, a wave of revivalism swept across Europe and into the English colonies. It was during this time, and out of this movement, that people were often encouraged to pray a prayer and to ask Jesus into their hearts. Baptism became a secondary thing that really wasn’t so important, thanks especially to the work of a Swiss theologian named Huldreich Zwingli in 1523. That prayer, became known as “The Sinner’s Prayer,” and it’s still very popular today. But there is no example in the Bible of anyone praying to accept Jesus – except for Paul – and he prayed for 3 days solid – Ananias said to him, “What are you waiting for, arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on His name!”
If there is a “sinner’s prayer,” I think it’s this moment at baptism when we climb into the lifeboat. It’s this time when we appeal to God to clean our conscience – on His terms – and He does.
Hebrews 9:14 (NASB)
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
This lifeboat gives me assurance from God that I am forgiven. I really want for you to have that today. It also gives me a reason to believe that, one day, I’m going to live again! That’s the rest of the verse. Look at it again: How does it save me? It saves me by/through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead!
2. Resurrection later
For Peter’s audience, this was the assurance that no matter how much they suffered on behalf of Jesus, one day they would live again. This was the whole basis for their belief! If it wasn’t true, then what was the point of suffering for Jesus? But, if it is true, then what could man do to me or you that isn’t completely undone by the promise of living again, forever? That’s really the point of this bit of Scripture. Peter was saying to them, remember – remember how God saved Noah. Remember that lifeboat. Remember that God saves you!
So, where are you now?
1992, Rapid City, SD. Dennis Lee Curtis was arrested for theft. In his wallet, police found a piece of paper on which was written the following rules – rules for thievery that Curtis had made for himself:
1. I will not kill anyone unless I have to.
2. I will take cash and food stamps—no checks.
3. I will rob only at night.
4. I will not wear a mask.
5. I will not rob mini-marts or 7-Eleven stores.
6. If I get chased by cops on foot, I will get away. If chased by vehicle, I will not put the lives of innocent civilians on the line.
7. I will rob only seven months out of the year.
8. I will enjoy robbing from the rich to give to the poor.
Isn’t it reassuring to know that there are some thieves who at least have some standards? But you know what, when he stood before the court, he wasn’t judged by his own standards. He was judged by the higher law of the state of SD.
Who are we to draw up the standards when it comes to how we’ll relate to God? You and I need something better than a list of ideas we’ve thrown together.
Conclusion:
Hours before He was crucified, Jesus stooped down to wash His disciples’ feet. No one else had volunteered to take on that stinky task. It was completely out of place. When Jesus arrived at Peter’s feet, Peter said, “No way, Lord! You’re not going to wash my feet!” Jesus said, “If I don’t do this, you have no part with me.”
What did Peter say? “Then, Lord, wash all of me!”
You know, even if you don’t fully understand why God told us it’s this way, even if you’ve already done a lot with your life that shows you love Jesus, if Jesus wants you to be baptized, why would you not join in with Peter and say, “Lord, wash all of me!”?
Now is the time to do that.
