Water In God's Plan Of Salvation Roelf L. Ruffner

The Bible teaches that the individual who is not a Christian, who has not obeyed God's Plan of Salvation, is in a dreadful spiritual state. He is in bondage to sin (Jn. 8:44). He is spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1). He is separated from God (Isa. 59:1-2). He is in rebellion against his Maker (1 Jn. 3:4). There is no work of merit a sinner can do to save himself or to have one of his transgressions forgiven by God — prayer, penance, burning of candles, fasting, climbing a mountain or taking a pilgrimage. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). [Emph. mine, RLR]. That salvation is only found through obedience to God's Plan of Salvation: Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess, and be Baptized for remission of sins. Millions for the last 2,000 years have done just that and received the gift of salvation. "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you" (Rom. 6:17). Others have objected, claiming that baptism for remission of sins is "water salvation" and not "salvation by faith." But the salvation God offers is not by "faith-only" or "grace-only" or even "baptism-only." We must obey God in order to be saved (Matt. 7:21). And immersion in water (baptism) for remission of sins is an act of obedient faith (cf. Acts 8:36-39). All through the Bible we can read how God used water to save people. Water Is Important To Life Science tells us that the simple molecule of Hydrogen dioxide (H2O) is essential for existence of life on this planet. God used water from the beginning to accomplish His purposes. For example, in the beginning when God created everything, "and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water" (2 Pet. 3:5 ASV). On the very first day of Creation, "And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters" (Gen. 1:6). Without the water content of over 99 percent, our bodies would dehydrate and all chemical processes in our body would cease. Without the oceans of water on our planet, life would cease to be. Water continues to sustain life on earth (Gen. 2:6). God Saved The Human Race Once Through Water After Adam and Eve sinned virtually the whole human race fell into a pattern of rebellion and wickedness (cf. Gen. 6:5-6). Sin, in any form, in any age, is repugnant to Jehovah. "For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity" (Ps. 5:4-6). Being God, He has a right to punish wickedness (Jer. 2:22; Rom. 6:23). In the Antediluvian world God found only one man worthy of being saved from punishment — Noah. Students of the Bible know the rest of the story. God was set to destroy the world by a great flood (Gen. 6:13). Yet he looked with favor (grace) on righteous Noah and commanded him to build an ark (Heb. 11:7). For one hundred and twenty years Noah preached to others while finishing the ark (2 Pet. 2:5). When that time was up God destroyed all life on earth by a worldwide Flood. "All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died" (Gen. 7:22). But what God destroyed by water, He saved by water. "Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls were saved by water" (1 Pet. 3:20). Ultimately, what saved Noah and his family from drowning was their obedient faith. Today a person may be saved by water — by obedient faith. Please notice these powerful verses: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). "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" (1 Pet. 3:21). Please notice that Peter has the Flood (see 1 Pet. 3:20) as the "type" and baptism as the "antitype." This means they were mirror images of each other. In the Flood those under the water were drowned. But in baptism those under the water are saved. Those who are baptized have "a good conscience toward God" or obedient faith. They also partake in "the resurrection of Jesus Christ." "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead" (Col. 2:12). God Saved The Children Of Israel By Water After 430 years of bondage in Egypt, God released ancient Israel from slavery by His mighty hand. But three days later they faced an impasse on the shores of the Red Sea. Before them lay the promise of freedom. Behind the Israelites lay the mighty army of Pharaoh (Ex. 14:20). When one hears the Gospel of Jesus Christ he too faces a decision. Before him lies the promise of freedom from sin in Christ (Rom. 8:2). Behind him lies the bondage of sin with Satan as his Pharaoh (2 Cor. 4:4, Rom. 7:24). By God's hand the water of the Red Sea was separated as a wall on each side, and the Israelites walked through on dry land. Afterwards the walls collapsed and Pharaoh's army drowned. "Moreover, brethern, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea" (1 Cor. 10:1-2). Like ancient Israel the sinner passes over to freedom through water — baptized into Christ, not Moses (Rom. 6:3). The Israelites entered into a better relationship with God through Moses. The Christian enters into a better relationship with God through Jesus Christ. "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ" (Eph. 2:13). God Gave Israel The Promised Land By Water Because of their rebellion against God, the majority of Israelites who left Egypt did not enter into the Promised Land. For forty years the rebels' sons and daughters wandered in the wilderness until God allowed them to cross the Jordan River into Canaan. In a remarkable miracle God caused the Jordan to stop flowing as the feet of the Levite bearers of the Ark of the Covenant touched the water (Josh. 3:14-17). Behind the Israelites was the rebellion of their fathers and mothers in the wilderness. Before them lay the lush, fertile Promised Land. Likewise when one contemplates obeying the Gospel, behind him lies a life of rebellion against God. Before him are the blessings of forgiveness found only in Christ's blood (1 Pet. 1:18-19, Eph. 1:7). God has used a lot of imagery and example in Scripture to show us the importance water plays in our salvation. But many who call themselves "Christian" fail to see the connection. In every example cited in this article, faithful obedience was needed. Noah and his family would not have been saved without first building the ark and then going into it. The children of Israel would never have escaped the army of Pharaoh if they had not taken that first step into the Red Sea. The Israelites would not have gained their inheritance if they had not crossed the Jordan River. Their fathers and mothers had failed God's test of obedience forty years before. "And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief" (Heb. 3:18-19). Dear reader, it should be obvious to you that in every example we have cited, faith-only is not sufficient for salvation. Please bear in mind the simple spiritual equation: Faith = belief + obedience. "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" (Jas. 2:17). To be saved from sin one must obey God's Plan of Salvation: Hear the word of God (Rom. 10:17). Beleive in Jesus Christ (John 8:24). Repent of sins (Luke 13:3). Confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God (Rom. 10:9-10). Be baptized in water for remission of sins (Acts 2:38).

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