²¹Corresponding 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, ²²who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

Having just brought up the story of the biblical flood, Noah and the ark, which was God’s means for saving the godly few who trusted in the Lord, Peter now develops this motif further. Remember, he is building on the idea that we should take courage as we endure suffering that comes as the consequence of doing good. The Noah story told of the hope that he and his family had amid persecution, with the ultimate result that they “were brought safely through the water” (1 Peter 3:20).

Apparently, in Peter’s mind, this imagery reminded him of baptism, so he draws an analogy. Many have tripped over this verse, interpreting Peter as saying that God requires Christian baptism for salvation. On the face of it, that interpretation contradicts other clear Scripture, for example:

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph. 2:8–9)

Yet, Peter does use the specific words, “baptism now saves you.” The resolution comes through understanding Peter’s point. When he speaks of baptism, he clarifies that he is referring not to an outward act of symbolic washing but to an inward movement, “an appeal to God for [or from] a good conscience.”

The causative action in our salvation is not the physical act of baptism, but the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism is not even the instrumental cause of salvation, but God uses the inner movement of faith to bring salvation. Is the symbol of baptism therefore unimportant? Not in the least! It is important in the same way as when Jesus spoke of the bread and wine being His body and blood. In communion, these are pictures or symbols of Him that focus on His sacrifice.

Bringing this together, then, Peter points us to Jesus Christ in the ultimate place of victory, having ascended to the highest place at God’s right hand, with His absolute sovereignty being seen by all. In baptism, we express the hope we have in Him; when we rise out of the water, we identify with the resurrected Lord, who is Lord over all. This pictures Noah being delivered out of the flood waters in the ark. And we live by this hope that in the end, God will deliver us from the flood of conflict and persecution we face when doing good.

Lord, help me to continually remember the great hope I have in You.