Eight souls were saved by water.

1 Pet. {3:18} For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit
{3:19} By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison


Our fate should be no better than that of Christ's. If we think we shouldn't suffer at all in our life, or suffer for our faith what are we saying? We're too good to suffer? We need some special dispensation so that we're exempt from suffering in our lives? We are good and faithful followers so we deserve no suffering at all. Those who understand that suffering is to be expected of those who choose to have hope in God are better off than those who wail and flail about when trouble comes to them. The 'why me' is popular? Why me, why am I to walk this hard road? Why should I suffer? What did I ever do to deserve to suffer?


We ask the whys and wherefores and all the while we know our Savior, the Son of God took on flesh and suffered tortures undeserved for us. He was just and He suffered for the unjust, we should do no less, we who are unjust suffer as well we should, and deserve.


Christ suffered and He was quickened by the Spirit and He went on and preached to the spirits in prison. So aptly put isn't it? We're born into sin...born with our spirits in prison. Christ alone can set the spirit within us free from prison, free to unite with His own. We can no more escape from this prison than a prisoner from the most secure prison in existence. Only Jesus can free us. We might think we are free but that's a mere illusion. We are, each of us, caught up in a prison- a prison few will ever escape from because we don't believe we are jailed and in need of a rescuer. We play at wanting freedom and yet we keep ourselves hidden from the One who would rescue us. True freedom is something we need to actively seek, to actively desire.


1 Pet. {3:20} Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.


Eight souls were saved from their spiritual prison in the days of Noah...eight.


{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


Baptism saves us. Baptism by water and Spirit...but it's not the dirt and sin washed from us, it's not the filth of the flesh that is put away that cleanses us and saves us- it's the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Being able to accept Christ so fully, to have faith in him to the point our conscience towards God is good.


God alone is worthy. God alone is our saving Grace. Christ's righteousness not ours in our filthy imprisoned bodies, bodies we try to wash clean never realizing all our trying is for naught. We must rest in the arms of the Cleanser, we must seek the freedom from our prison by the only One who can rescue us. Salvation isn't ours to give ourselves, it is Jesus' to give to us and we must let Him give it to us believing He and He alone saves.


By His grace and mercy now and forever.


Amen.