Cleansed by the Water

Genesis 6:12 - "Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish."

I mentioned water and cleansing yesterday, how God cleansed the early world of evil through the great flood. This is a type of baptism into Christ. We are cleansed by the washing of the Word...we are cleansed by the washing of Christ. The Bible is so filled with types and shadows of Christ. It's amazing. 

Recall Noah and his circumstances for a minute. God warned him of the pending disaster of a flood that would destroy the earth but because of his righteousness he was saved. There was a catch, though. He had to do something very extreme. He had to build an ark and while he was building it he was to explain the reason to the curious people confronting Noah. And the people scoffed.

Jesus pretty much expects the same thing of us. He is our Ark...another type of Christ. There is evil in our lives, our sin, as well as evil in the world, and He asks us to enter in, to seek our refuge from this sin, from the world, through Him. That extreme act on our part is the relationship He wants us to enter into with Him. Proverbs 18:10 alludes to this too: The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Do you see? It's believing in Christ and allowing Him to wash away our sin.

But like the people in Noah's day they did not want to hear this hard word. No different today. It's difficult; it's not something some choose to do; it's a narrow thinking: Matthew 7:13 - Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Haven't I mentioned before Jesus is not only the Ark, He is the narrow Gate. He is the only Way, Truth and Life.

When we are feeling unclean we take baths or showers. We feel refreshed, energized or relaxed/comforted. Is there any way you cannot see how the things of the world are so closely related to the things of God? Another day begins and more revelation comes. God is so good. It's not like I might not have thought of this before, but it's even stronger today.

Jesus' ministry began after He was baptized in the Jordan River. John the Baptist thought it odd that He would want him to do this thing. John believed it should be the other way around. Here's what Jesus said: "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15). 

When we all come to this point in our lives where we are fed up with our sin and need this cleansing, we are to do as Jesus did. He was our example. If He needed to be baptized, so do we. So that poses the question, if Jesus was perfect and the Son of God, why did He need to be baptized? I have to admit I had to find this out. I didn't have a clear answer. As Matthew 3:15 says above it was to fufill all righteousness. Jesus was about to begin His ministry. He was about to take on the sins of the world Himself. Like the priests of the Old Testament, He needed to be cleansed as well to be our Great High Priest. It was an act of obedience to His Father to show Him He was serious about what He was going to do. 2Corinthians 5:21 - For He [God the Father] made Him who knew no sin  to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 

And this was done by being immersed in water, totally cleansed. Not sprinkled, but like a great flood. All the sins of the world that Jesus was about to take upon Himself were washed clean in His baptism. And if it is our belief that Jesus is the One who saves then  “He who believes and is baptized will be saved “ (Mark 16:16).

That brings me to the next step after receiving Christ, being baptized in Christ and having our sins removed. The Word of God, the Bible, is also likened to water. Ephesians 5:26 - that He might sanctify and cleanse ... with the washing of water by the word. When we are saved and take on a new life, we are to be renewed by the washing of the water of the Word. 

We know how valuable water is. We cannot live without it, just like we cannot live without Jesus, our Living Water. The woman at the well went daily to collect water. She met Jesus there. He told her all about her life, the dryness of it, and told her of water that would never cause her to thirst again. He offered Himself to her. Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, "Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water" (John 4:10). 

Jesus Himself tells us unless we are born of water...and the Spirit...we cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5). A relationship with the Lord cleanses us. It washes away our sin and makes us righteous. No water but the Living Water of Christ will ever do anything like this. He is the water that refreshes.

Titus 3:5-6 - ... but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior...