1st Peter 3:18-22
We are saved through baptism?
I take this one on with fear and trembling. Paul goes to some lengths at the start of this to explain how man was saved by going through the very Water that was sent to destroy sin by being in the ark. He explains baptism is the antitype, demonstrating our obedience to God by putting on the Christ and coming into Father Presence as Noah and his Family was brought into safety from the destruction of the flood by being surrounded by the Ark. There are two schools of thought on this. One is a person should be baptized as an adult, the other is one should baptize babies, and raise them to have an uncompromising faith in the Christ. I was baptized as an infant. I cannot say nothing happened as I look back on my life and see Father working in my heart during my childhood. I was also baptized as an adult. It did not mean I was abandoning my infant baptism, it meant I wanted to choose myself to demonstrate my faith. As one goes down into the water one is making the statement they are dying to sin, and being brought up are becoming alive to Father through the death and resurrection of the Christ. Should we baptize our children? That is a personal choice. I had all of mine baptized. All made the choice to follow Christ in baptism when they got older. It is one area I refuse to get entangled with. But remember this; Father does something with a child at baptism. I like to think of it as the point at which Father puts his hand on the child and will do everything short of coercion to bring that child unto himself. It’s what Father does at baptism that really means something. Not what we do.
Go in peace
Michael
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