Figures, baptism, conscience

Read the following scriptures carefully and they will shed much light on the confusion put out by baptismal regeneration advocates. Water baptism is not part of God's program for man under grace (1 Cor. 1:14-17, Eph. 4:5, Col. 2:8-23) but it was under the gospel of the kingdom (Mark 1:4-5, 16:16, Acts 2:38). However, water baptism did not regenerate people even then under the gospel of the kingdom, as seen in the below scriptures.

Hebrews 9:
[7] But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
[8] The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
[9] Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
[10] Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
[11] But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
[12] Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
[13] 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:
[14] 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?

Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Titus 1:15-16 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Notice the following things from those scriptures:

#1.) Physical figures and washings cannot give you a good conscience toward God. After doing those things, you still have a evil and defiled conscience before God because all the service you performed were "figures". A figure is nothing, it simply pictures something else.

#2.) The sprinkling of the blood of Christ CAN obtain redemption for us and purge our conscience (from the defiled one we had--Titus 1:15) while the physical figures and washings cannot. The sprinkling of His blood gives us a good conscience.

#3.) The sprinkling of the blood of Christ is what gave the believer a good conscience, the washing of water was something that came after that (Heb. 10:22). Baptism with water (a sprinkling) was the outward sign of the inward grace (the sprinkling of the blood of Christ).

#4.) Water baptism was a "like figure" where unto it saved, it was not the actual putting away of the filth of the flesh which was done by the blood of Christ. Water baptism was figurative salvation but did not have any saving power. Water baptism was the answer of a good conscience toward God and you must ALREADY BE SAVED to answer God with a good conscience. A lost man has a "defiled" conscience and performing physical figures and washings will not give him a good conscience toward God.

--Eli Caldwell