[Biblemat] S) APPEALING TO GOD FOR A GOOD CONSCIENCE (1)

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  Here is the first part of a
study from my files.  Use to the glory of God.

APPEALING TO GO FOR A GOOD CONSCIENCE  (1)

     "And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, 'Men and
brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until
this day'" (Acts 23:1).  We acquire a good conscience today
the same way Paul did about 2,000 years ago.  How did Paul
acquire a good conscience?  This is one of the questions we
want to answer in this study.

     The Hebrew writer penned, "For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and 
the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, 
sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall
the blood of Christ, Who through the Eternal Spirit offered
Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from 
dead works to serve the living God?" (9:13,14).  This passage
of Scripture helps to explain 1 Pet. 3:21, "The like figure whereunto even 
baptism doth also now save us (not the putt-
ing away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience 
toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ."  (Take a moment and read 1 Pet. 
3:18-22).  We learn
from Peter's passage that baptism now saves us.  How?  It is
not the putting away of the filth of the flesh!  but the answer
of a good conscience towards God, i.e. "an appeal to God for
a clear conscience" (RSV).  This is all possible through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.  So, we want to look at the figures and shadows 
and the appeal to God for a good consci-
ence and how they all tie together in God's scheme of things
for our salvation.

Eight Souls Were Saved By (Through) Water: -- The flood, in
which Noah and his family escaped in the Ark, was a shadow
of our salvation.  This illustration is what Peter appeals to.
When Noah and his family stepped out of the Ark and saw the
new world purified from its former sins, don't you think they
realized how terrible sin is in the sight of God and how terrib-
le it is to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:31).  The waters 
of the flood saved Noah and his family, and at the
same time destroyed the wicked (1 Pet. 3:20,21).

     In Gen. 6:8,9, we read, "Noah found grace in the eyes of 
the Lord.  These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect 
in his generations, and Noah walked with God."  In this passage, God calls 
Noah a "just man," and
here we find the first occurrence of the word "grace" in Scrip-
tures.  "Grace" means gratuitous favor of God to sinful man.
God gives us three reasons for the divine favor toward Noah.

     1. "Just man" -- "To declare anyone just or innocent" (Ges-
enius).  "Justified or declared righteous."  In order for Noah to be declared 
a just or righteous man he would have had to
been obedient to God's laws at that time (Psa. 119:172).  Noah was justified 
because of his faith in God (Heb. 11:7).  His faith led him to obey all that 
God commanded him (Gen. 6:22).  His life measured up to the standards of God.  
Noah 
was a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet. 2:5).  For 120 years
Noah preached to the people of his day and time about God's
judgment to come, with no results seen outside of his own
family.  We know that Noah practiced what he preached.  What about you and me?

     2. "Perfect" -- "Blameless." -- Noah was blameless in his
generation.  The word hs the idea of balanced.  The implicat-
ion is that those who live without God are warped, not balanc-
ed.

     3. "Walked with God." -- Literally, with God he walked to 
and fro.  Noah had fellowship with God on a personal basis 
because of his righteous -- perfect life.  We too can walk with
God (1 Jno. 1:6,7) or without Him (2 Jno. 9).

     Noah's salvation is a type of our salvation.  (1) As Noah was saved by 
water, we are saved by baptism in water (1 Pet.
3:20,21).  (2) As Noah was saved by grace, we too are saved
by grace (Gen. 6:8; Eph. 2:8,9).  (3) As Noah did as God com-
manded him, we too must do as God commands us (Gen. 6:22; Heb. 5:8,9; Matt. 
7:21).  Noah walked with God, we too
can walk with God (Gen. 6:9; 1 Jno. 1:7).  (More will be posted on this 
subject tomorrow, the Lord willing, JWS).   </HTML>
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