Faith Life 17 (FAITH THAT OVERCOME)

GRACE ABOUNDS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY
THEME: FAITH LIFE OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS (Part 17)
TOPIC: FAITH THAT OVERCOME  
SPEAKER: Peter Ayoola Fakeye (PAF)

By Faith, Noah prepared the ark according to God's dimensions and instructions for the safety of his household. 
Apostle Peter here used the ark noah built as an antitype to that which saves us in the above scripture. We could actually see that Faith in God's preparation for Noah and His household saved them from the Impending judgement against sin and corruption. Peter told us that the salvation of the ark of Noah can be liken to our Baptism, and this baptism is not just the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God. In other words, he was saying this baptism is not just an external baptism which the Jews practice. By applications, it means it is not just behavioral modifications, but an answer of a good conscience towards God (It is in the conscience an unregenerated man carries the sense of sin). But the baptism, Peter is talking about gives you freedom from the sense of sin. We are not only set free from sin, we are also given power over it. Sin has no more dominion over you because you are not under the law but under grace (Romans 6:14).

The baptism, Peter is talking about is the baptism into the death of Jesus. And he compared what the ark did to Noah to what the death of Jesus does to us. God prepared the ark for Noah, and he put them in it during the flood. Do you know that the condition of the ark is the condition of those that are in it? The sustainability of the ark against the flood is the same sustainability of those that are also in it. In other words, as long as the ark can get sustained during the flood, the lives of those in the flood get automatically sustained, and all through the flood, the ark was not destroyed. So also, when Jesus was crucified, we are in His loins, and our sin didn't consume Christ on the Cross, but Jesus consumed sin. He was the only one that could sustain the eternal consequences of sin once and for all on the cross. 

We must note that Jesus was not defeated at any point in the process of our redemption. On the cross he was reconciling man (2 Corinthians 5:19), defeating sin, death and the devil. Jesus lived victoriously even on the cross; in death and in the grave. Jesus went to the grave as a victor, no wonder the Bible says in Ephesians 4:8 that, 'He came into the prison and set the captive men free from the shakle of the devil'. Jesus is the ark that sustained us during the judgement of our sin. This is the man we are to put our faith in.

What does it now mean to be baptised into his death?
Just as it was the ark that experienced the flood, such that Noah and all that were in it didn't experience flood; So also, we should see ourselves not passing through what CHRIST has already passed through for us on the cross. Brothers and sisters, you don't need to pass through the consequences of the fall of man, because Christ has borne all the consequences.
Noah didn't have to panic; infact the ark was built in such a way that he won't be able to know what is happening outside. Instead, he put faith in the ark God has prepared, that He is in control and able to save them. Romans 6 told us to reckon ourself to be dead with Christ and alive unto righteousness. That is, you don't need to start looking for ways to overcome sin, defeat and the effect of the Fall, Just put faith in Christ (our ark) that He has overcome for us. You need to see yourself inside Christ when He judged sin, death and the devil. Therefore, stand on that victory that He'd won for you through His cross.

The Bible says we are save by baptism in Christ's death through His resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus is the pledge of our position before God. The Bible says he was raised up for our justification (Romans 4:25). The resurrection of Christ from the dead is the factual indication that the death of Christ was adequate to save us. The resurrection of Christ brought us into a position in the presence of God, because his death was adequate for us to be  saved. We are now positioned in the presence of God, sitted with Christ, and we can live in the experience of it daily as we put our faith in the death of Jesus. His death was adequate for your struggles and all human problems. A proof of it is the bodily resurrection where he positioned humanity and integrate him to the God head (1 Corinthians 1:30).

If Jesus' death on the cross for us was not enough to save us, then man wouldn't have been risen to reign with Christ; and we'll still be in our shame and shambles. Glory to Jesus! He arose. Just quit struggling, but start seeing yourself in Christ who went through the flood undefeated for you and you were in Him in the process.

Hallelujah!
Grace Abounds

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