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Hebrews 11:7
The author of Hebrews speaks of the faith of Noah as he was warned by God of the coming flood and instructed to build the ark. Through his faith in God, Noah believed and was saved from the condemnation that was coming to the world (Genesis 6). Because of his belief in God, Noah was not only saved through the flood but was considered righteous before God. God told Noah in Genesis 7:1 (HCSB), “…‘Enter the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before Me in this generation.’”
This is an example of saving faith in God which leads to righteousness.
In this example of Noah being saved through the flood that destroyed the world because of man’s ever-increasing wickedness and thoughts of the heart being evil continuously (Genesis 6:5-8), we find the birth of baptism. All the world was destroyed, but Noah and his family, along with the pairs of animals on the ark, were saved through the water. They went into the water from an ever-sinful world and came through the water into a new life that God had in store for them. Just as is our representation of baptism today, we go under the water in a public display of the ever-sinful world that once covered us before we opened our hearts to Jesus, and then, coming up through the water, washed clean of sin into a new life in the purity of salvation that is only found in Christ Jesus. As we enter into our new lives in Christ Jesus, we are to publicly profess our faith in Him, as He publicly died in paying the price for our sins that we may live in new life; in our new family and fellowship of being children of God.
Dear LORD,
As I witness people being baptized, many of them enter the water with expressions of uncertainty and fear, but they all come up through the water with expressions of joy – joy inexpressible and glowing of the love of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. It truly is amazing to witness this transformation in public expression of one’s faith in You LORD. Taking a public stand to express our faith in You in accepting the love You give us through our Savior Jesus into a new life – an eternal life basking in the glory of Christ Jesus – is an opening of our hearts to receive a special blessing that you reserve for just this occasion – in Christ. In Jesus name I pray amen.