Confession

CJ Mahaney has posted on the Sovereign Grace blog about confession of sin. It is compelling, and convicting. I am also challenged by the way CJ can point out evidences of sin without self-righteousness, and explain what Biblical confession should look like. CJ could have taken the opportunity to express anger at Andy Pettite, but instead it is clear that he is writing an article to edify his readers. I would encourage my zero to two readers to take a look. I was just as challenged by the way he wrote than the very Biblical content.

Here is the article.

http://www.sovgracemin.org/Blog/post/Andy-Pettitte-and-My-Confession-of-Sin.aspx

Baptism

I have been confronted recently with the belief that Baptism is required for salvation. One of the key passages used to support this view is 1 Peter 3:21. Here is that verse in context (NKJV)

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 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, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

It is confusing because the passage says that baptism saes us.

Here is what John Piper has to say regarding this passage and baptism. (This was taken from his sermon on the text on September 25, 1994.)


"4. Know the Meaning of Baptism

The fourth way that Peter strengthens us for suffering is by describing the meaning of baptism.
The flood waters that brought judgment on the world in Noah's day reminds Peter of Christian baptism. Verse 21: "And corresponding to that [the flood], 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."

Verse 18 said that Christ died for sins and brought us to God. In other words Christ saves us. But the question is: who is us? Whom does Christ's death actually save? That's what verse 21 answers: those who are baptized. But Peter knows that this will be misunderstood if he does not qualify it. So when he says, "Baptism now saves you," he adds, "Not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience." This is virtually a definition of baptism. Baptism is an outward expression of a spiritual, inward appeal to God for cleansing. In other words, baptism is a way of saying to God: "I trust you to apply the death of Jesus to me for my sins and to bring me through death and judgment into new and everlasting life through the resurrection of Jesus."

Baptism may cleanse the body because it was by immersion. But that is not why he says it saves. It saves for one reason: it is an expression of faith. It is an appeal of faith. Paul said in Romans 10:13 that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Baptism is such a calling. It is an appeal to the Lord. " (emphasis mine)

So, baptism is an appeal. We are saved by what baptisim symbolizes, as is discussed in Romans 6 and Colossians 2. We are not saved by the actual water but by the passing out of spiritual death and into spiritual life in Jesus Christ.

I thought Piper's sermon was quite helpful here.

New blog

Hey everybody,

The blog of steele may have died, and is at least hibernating. Cris and I have started publishing a new blog about our upcoming stay in Romania. Please visit that blog if you want to keep up with all the goings on in my life.

www.steeleromania.blogspot.com

See you later!