When Peter wrote that Noah and his family were saved by water in 1 Peter 3:20, he was careful to explain as we see in 21-22 that this does not imply salvation comes through baptism.
My friend, Only Christ's blood can save us. Remember the thief on the cross was not baptized but Christ told him “today you will be with me in paradise”. When we are baptized we identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; Water cannot remove the stains of sin only Christ's blood can do this, therefore, Baptism is evidence of our salvation. Or another way of saying it “Baptism is an outward manifestation of an inward working by Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit”. Think about when you are happy you smile, A smile is an outward manifestation of an inward working within us.
Peter uses Noah as an example in this passage. The Bible says in Genesis 6:9 that Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God." He wholeheartedly loved and obeyed God and displayed godly character. For most of his life he walked in faith as a living example to his generation. Like Noah, we live in a world that constantly pressures us to compromise our integrity. But as we stand against the world's pressures, we show other believers how to maintain godly character in an evil world. Noah is also mentioned with the Heroes of Faith in Hebrews 11:7. What an honor, we have to ask “would our names be listed with the Heroes of Faith”?
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