“Baptism saves” is a direct quote from Scriptures that have many evangelicals scrambling to dance around it

Many times the first jerk reaction that many of the modern evangelicals when they hear or read the word “baptism saves” is to say that’s heresy. This is despite the fact that this is a direct quote of 1 Peter 3:21.

So how do they respond when that text is pointed out to them?

Many will argue that since the text says the water symbolizes baptism that now saves you, water baptism must be a symbol of a waterless Spirit baptism that now saves us. But that is completely distorting what Peter was saying. Verse 20 clearly shows he was referring to Noah’s flood as the water that symbolizes baptism that now saves us. (No such distinction between water baptism and Spirit baptism exist in Scriptures.)

Another argument is that baptism saves us not by removal of dirt from the body so it must not be water baptism. The problem is if no water is involved, Peter would have no need to point out it isn’t the physical cleansing part that does the saving. And we affirm fully baptism saves not by water in itself but by the Word joined to the water. As Luther pointed out in his Large Catechism, without the Word, there is no baptism but just plain water. What he said is fully Scriptural, in line with the apostle Paul saying Christ washed us with water through the Word in Ephesians 5:26.

So water is involved when we have our sins washed away, but it is not the water itself that washed away our sins. Rather, it’s through the Word, that makes baptism, as how we have our sins washed away. And the Word, that makes baptism, is Christ crucified for our sins. It’s the Gospel proclaimed to us. Hence, it is why we call baptism the Visible Gospel. Baptism is an outward physical means of the Gospel preached to us, and by which Christ comes to us to deliver unto us His finished work at the Cross. 

The point is that whenever folks argue against us with we are not saved by dirt removed from the body, they are erecting a strawman against us. We don’t affirm dirt removed from the body is what saves us. We affirm, as Hebrews 10:22 says, that while our physical bodies are washed with pure water, it is God who sprinkles our hearts to sprinkle us from a guilty conscience, through faith.

Which brings up the next objection people use which is 1 Peter 3:21 states baptism is presented as an answer of good conscience hence it is our good work we do in response to being saved. In other words, they pit that part of the text against the part that says baptism saves.

Their own mindset is baptism must be our good work (a false view since no Scriptures treat being baptized as some good work we do for God) so that can’t save. In their need to affirm their version of faith alone, they actually undermine and even destroy it here. That’s the ultimate irony.

How so? Saying anything we do as an answer of good conscience is extremely problematic (to put it mildly) when it comes to justification by faith alone and imputed righteousness. These two concepts hinge on the fact nothing we can do can clear our conscience or clear us of our guilt for our sins. So how can any good work we do give us a good conscience? It can’t.

Let that sink in. 

Now, let’s go back to Hebrews 10:22. It reads:

“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

That text shows us having an answer of good conscience does not come from ourselves but from God sprinkling our hearts as our bodies are washed with pure water. Baptism is means of grace by which we are drawn to God through faith. And in Christ, we have our answer of good conscience. It’s not from us but from what He did.

And that’s exactly what 1 Peter 3:21 states. 

Baptism saves us by the resurrection of Christ. How? It’s the outward means of the good news given unto us. The good news is Christ died and rose again on our behalf. He is our answer of good conscience. Baptism is itself Christ to us, washing us with water through the Word. It’s where through faith, we are clothed with Him. And with us being clothed with Him, we have His forgiveness won at the Cross so that our sins may be washed away.

So a proper understanding of baptismal saving grace or regeneration, rather than undercutting or undermining justification by faith alone and imputed righteousness, actually supports both concepts. Baptism saving us as an answer of good conscience not based on us but rather on what Christ did for us squares with imputation of righteousness, where we are declared righteous based on Christ’s merits, not our own. Arguing baptism is a good work we do as an answer of good conscience, far from salvaging justification by faith alone and imputed righteousness, actually destroy both concepts paramount to the faith.

Here we stand.