Remembering Your Baptismal Pledge

"Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." - Romans 6:4 (NKJV)

Nik Ripken, in his book "The Insanity of God," tells of a woman named Samira who lived in a heavily persecuted area. Through a series of visions and dreams, God led her to missionaries who explained the gospel. She gave her life to Christ and began fighting for religious freedoms in her hostile homeland.

During this time, she witnessed several dozen women get baptized despite threats to their lives. Water baptism, you see, was the moment when persecution typically intensified. It was a public declaration, a visible statement of allegiance to Jesus. Even in the midst of threats to their own lives, they would get baptized.

Eventually, Samira's country extricated her to America, where the Ripkins invited her to their home and brought her to a church service. On a particular Sunday, they were having a baptism service at the beginning of the worship. An entire family, consisting of a father, mother, and children, was being baptized together.

The Ripkins noticed Samira becoming restless and fidgety. It looked like something was wrong. When they asked if something was the matter, she was so excited that it was hard for her to contain herself. "I can't believe what I'm witnessing!" she exclaimed. "You're actually able to have a baptism of an entire family in front of everyone. No one's shooting at them. No one is threatening them. This is incredible!"

As the baptism continued and people responded with polite applause, doing what we typically do when someone gets baptized, Samira looked around in amazement. "Why is everyone not on their feet? Why is everyone not cheering loudly? This is an incredible day!" Water baptism in America is different from what it is in more persecuted areas in the world. It is no less significant to God, but if we are not careful, we will take for granted the freedoms we have in this country to worship God.

In persecuted areas of the world today, intense persecution comes into the life of anyone who says yes to Jesus. There are those who will say, "Jesus is my Lord, I'm a follower of Jesus," but because of the persecution they know will follow, they hesitate to get baptized. "I'm just not sure I'm ready to get water baptized," they'll say, because when the water baptism occurs, that's when the persecution begins in earnest. It's a public declaration, a public statement of one's allegiance to Jesus that cannot be hidden or denied.

"There is also an antitype which now saves us—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." - 1 Peter 3:21 (NKJV)

When Peter uses the word "antitype", he's not talking about being "anti" or against something. The Greek word means "corresponding to", which means the water in Noah's day corresponds to the water of baptism. God often works in patterns throughout Scripture, where He gives a shadow ("type") in the Old Testament that points to something greater ("antitype") in the New Testament.

Here are a few Biblical examples:

• Old Testament Type: the Passover lamb; New Testament Anti-type: Christ our Passover (1 Cor. 5:7)
• Old Testament Type: the tabernacle; New Testament Anti-type: Christ dwelling among us (John 1:14)
• Old Testament Type: High Priest; New Testament Anti-type: Jesus our Great High Priest (Hebrews)

Here's what Peter is saying: Noah's flood was a "type" which points to the "antitype" of Christian baptism. Look at the parallels:

The Old Testament Type:

• Noah's flood came as God's judgment on sin
• Eight souls were saved through water
• The same water that judged the wicked also preserved the righteous
• It was a new beginning for humanity

The New Testament Anti-type:

• Christian baptism represents God's judgment on our sin in Christ
• The water of baptism symbolically points to our salvation
• The same water that symbolically buries our old sinful life raises us to new life in Christ
• It's a new beginning for every believer

One final key to underscore is that the anti-type is always greater than the type. Noah's flood saved only eight people. However, Christian baptism symbolically points to the salvation of billions of people. The flood was a physical salvation from physical death. Baptism represents spiritual salvation from spiritual death. Peter is showing this symbolism to his readers.

The phrase "not the removal of the filth of the flesh" means baptism doesn't wash away your sins. There's no salvific value to baptism itself. But baptism is significant—it was a pledge of allegiance you gave to Jesus Christ.

The first act of obedience for the child of God is to get baptized. It's a public pledge of allegiance: "I am not ashamed of being a follower of Jesus." Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20, "Make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." A disciple who won't get wet is a disobedient disciple.

Though only symbolic, pointing to one's salvation in Christ, it is still very important. That baptism is a dividing line between you and the rest of the world, just like the water in Noah's day. We dare not minimize what God's Word has clearly stated. When we are baptized, it is a public pledge of our allegiance to Jesus Christ.

Reflection Question: If you've been baptized, how can remembering that moment as your pledge of allegiance to Jesus strengthen your resolve to live boldly for Him? If you haven't been baptized, what's preventing you from taking this first step of obedience?

Heavenly Father, thank You for the freedoms I enjoy in America, where I can express my allegiance to You in a public way. Help me never to take it for granted. I pray that I remember my baptism as a dividing line between me and the world. I am Yours. Thank You for saving me. I love You. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Adapted from "Whose Side Are You On?": https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/gz6wj94/18-whose-side-are-you-on-1-peter-3-18-22