Corresponding to that, 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,

 Conscience:

 

            Appeal to God for a good conscience:

 

1 Peter 3:21

21     Corresponding to that, 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,

     

            Now this is not saying that we are going to go to Heaven because we’re baptized. We need to keep in mind that salvation is three-fold. Our spirits were “saved” when we were reborn. They’re not going to get any more “saved” than they are now. Our souls, however, take a lifetime for “salvation”. They are progressing towards what they should be. Our bodies won’t be “saved” till Jesus returns. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we can walk in newness of life. That is the “salvation” of our souls. His dying paid for our sins, but we couldn’t live the Christian life if He had remained in the grave. It says that baptism is an appeal to God for a good conscience. They way I like to think of it is that when the devil accuses us of something we did before we came to Christ, we can say, “My conscience is clear. I didn’t do it. That old man who is dead and buried did it”.

 

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "Do not think that I have left you defenseless. I have given you an inward warning sign. It is your conscience. As you learn and walk in My Word, your conscience is strengthened in knowing what I desire for you. You have been given a good conscience; one that can discern between good and evil. Do not disregard its warnings. You train it as you obey My commandments so that it knows what is acceptable and what is not. It will correctly guide you as you stay in My Word. If you refuse to listen to My Word, it becomes dull and hard of hearing. It refuses to listen to My Word as you continually disregard what it tells you to do.”

 

            82. When I was baptized, I appealed to God for a good conscience, and He gave it to me. My conscience is clear concerning all the sins that I did before I was saved. The person that did those things is dead and buried!