Fil 1 Pietru 3:21, naqraw li l-magħmudija hija t-tweġiba ta’ kuxjenza tajba lejn Alla, bil-qawmien ta’ Ġesù Kristu. Dan xi jfisser? Il-magħmudija għala hi t-tweġiba taʼ kuxjenza tajba lejn Alla?
The water separated the righteous from the unrighteous
Fil-jiem ta ’Noè, the water brought separation between the unrighteous (ungodly, ma jemmnux, Ġentili) and the righteous (dawk li jemmnu, saints). The righteous feared God (having great awe) and loved God and therefore they believed God and obeyed His words and commandments. Madankollu, the unrighteous didn’t fear and love God and therefore they didn’t believe His words and commandments but rejected them.
Għax Kristu wkoll darba sofra għal dnubiet, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, qed titwaħħal fil-laħam il-ħajtu, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Li xi drabi kienu diżubbidjenti, Meta darba t-tbatija ta ’Alla stenniet fil-jiem ta’ Noè, waqt li l-arka kienet tħejji, fejn ftit, F'kelma waħda, tmien erwieħ ġew salvati bl-ilma (1 Pietru 3:18-20)
The people on earth didn’t acknowledge God for who He is and didn’t want to listen to Him, let alone obey His words. They were prideful and went their own way and did evil.
Because of their disobedience to God, only only eight souls were saved from damnation.
These eight souls were Noah, martu, three sons, and daughter in laws.
Noah kien raġel ġust u perfett fil-ġenerazzjonijiet tiegħu, li mixi ma 'Alla.
Noah didn’t rely on what he saw and didn’t trust his own insights and the words of people, who were corrupt, but Noah trusted the Lord and therefore Noah believed the words of God and obeyed His commandments, whereby Noah walked by faith.
God told Noah, that He would bring a flood of waters on the earth to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. Madankollu, God established His covenant with Noah and saved him and his family and the animals through the ark, which Noah had to build, because God considered Noah righteous.
Noah’s faith in God and obedience to His words saved him and his family
Noah believed God and his word and obeyed God’s words and commandments. As a result of his faith in God and obedience God, Noah built an ark.
When the ark was finished and the time came and the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened, Noah entered the ark with his family and the animals and God closed the door.
After seven days, the rain came upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. The water separated the righteous, who were in the ark, from the unrighteous.
The unrighteous died in the water. Madankollu, il-ġust, who believed God and obeyed His words, were in the ark and were saved.
The baptism saves by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
The baptism is a like figure of the flood, whereby the ungodly died and the righteous were saved because of Noah’s good conscience toward God.
Il-figura simili li għaliha anki l-magħmudija issa ssalvana wkoll (mhux it-tneħħija tal-ħmieġ tal-laħam, imma t-tweġiba ta’ kuxjenza tajba lejn Alla,) bil-qawmien ta’ Ġesù Kristu: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him (1 Pietru 3:21)
Ġesù qal, that everyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. This is both a promise and a commandment of Jesus. Because if you believe in Christ, you shall obey Jesus Christ and be baptized.
By faith in Him and your obedience to His commandment, you shall have a good conscience toward God and be saved.
The water not only cleanses and purifies, but the water brings separation. Just like the water of the flood brought separation in the days of Noah between the righteous and the unrighteous.
Tafu li le, li ħafna minna li tgħammdin f’Ġesù Kristu tgħammdu fil-mewt tiegħu? Għalhekk aħna midfuna miegħu bil-magħmudija fil-mewt: li bħalma Kristu qam mill-imwiet bil-glorja tal-Missier, anke hekk aħna wkoll għandna nimxu f'ħajja ġdida (Rumani 6:3-4)
Fil-magħmudija, il-ġuvni (laħam) dies and is buried, L-istess bħal Ġesù, Who came in the flesh and carried the sins of the world, and died on the cross and was buried. Then the new man (spirtu) rises, just like Jesus rose from the dead. (Aqra wkoll: ‘Ġesù kien kompletament uman?‘ U ‘It-tislib tal-laħam‘).
A good conscience toward God
The Father loved His Son, Ġesù Kristu, because Jesus obeyed the will and the commandments of His Father and laid down His own life and took it again. The Father had given the commandment and power to Jesus, but it was up to Jesus to obey His commandment (John 10).
Jesus was not forced, but laid down His own life (Laħmu) liberament. He died on the cross and took it again when Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, where He is seated on the right hand of God, while angels, powers and principalities are made subject to Him. (Aqra wkoll: ‘Ġesù x’ried ifisser bl-awtorità li jagħti ħajtu u jeħodha mill-ġdid?).
Kulħadd, who believes and is baptized is obedient to the commandment of God to lay down his or her life freely and to take it again and identify himself/herself through means of baptism with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
How is baptism a good conscience to God?
Man does not have a good conscience toward God and doesn’t stand right before God through the death of the flesh in baptism. During baptism, the flesh does die and the old man is buried, but man is not saved by that. But man is saved through the water, permezz tal-qawmien tal-ispirtu mill-imwiet, whereby man is reconciled with God and is in right standing with God.
And so baptism is the answer of a good conscience to God, through obedience to the commandment of Jesus and the identification with His resurrection from the dead through the resurrection of the spirit from the dead.
People shall be saved by faith and baptism
Ġesù qal, that by faith and baptism man shall be saved. Only by faith and regeneration in Christ, a person shall be saved. Għax xi ħadd, who doesn’t believe and therefore is not baptized and born again in Christ, but whose spirit is dead and lives under the dominion of death in the darkness and is bound by the flesh to sin and death, shall be damned.
U Hu (Ġesù) qalilhom, Morru fid-dinja kollha, u jippriedka l-Evanġelju lil kull ħlejqa. he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; imma min ma jemminx jiġi kkundannat (Mark 16:15-16)
But through faith and the water of baptism, the old man dies and the new man is raised from the dead. From that new position in Christ and the baptism with the Holy Spirit, Bniedem, li sar ħolqien ġdid, shall live from a good conscience toward God in obedience according to the will of God and shall be a witness of Jesus Christ on earth.
Having a good conscience toward God through obedience to Him
And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, Imsemmija, Irġiel u ħutna, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day (Atti 23:1)
Din l-akkuża jiena nagħmel lilek, iben Timotju, skond il-profeziji li marru qabel fuqek, li bihom tista’ tigwera gwerra tajba; Żomm il-fidi, u kuxjenza tajba; li xi wħud wara li warrbu dwar il-fidi għamlu nawfraġju (1 Timotju 1:18-19)
If you are born again and the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you shall no longer live under guilt and condemnation and feel constantly accused and afraid to approach God and live separated from God. If you feel this way, maybe you should ask yourself if you are truly born again and have the Holy Spirit abiding in you.
Għax tgħid il-Kelma, that if you believe and be baptized, inti salvat. Therefore baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God.
Għax daqskemm huma mmexxija mill-Ispirtu ta ’Alla, Huma wlied Alla
Għax daqskemm huma mmexxija mill-Ispirtu ta ’Alla, Huma wlied Alla. Għax ma rċevejtux l-ispirtu tal-jasar mill-ġdid għall-biża; imma intom irċevejt l-Ispirtu ta’ adozzjoni, li biha nibku, Abba, Missier. L-Ispirtu nnifsu jagħti xhieda mal-ispirtu tagħna, li aħna wlied Alla: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together (Rumani 8:14-17)
If you are born again and the Holy Spirit dwells in you, the Holy Spirit testifies with your spirit that you are a son of God (Dan japplika kemm għall-irġiel kif ukoll għan-nisa) and that you belong to Him.
You shall no longer know Him through others, but you shall know Him personally, permezz ta’ Ġesù Kristu u l-Ispirtu s-Santu, and call Him Abba Father.
You shall listen to Him and keep His words and obey His commandments, whereby you shall have a good conscience toward God and show Him that you love Him.
Aqra wkoll: ‘X'inhi l-magħmudija’ u ‘Il-magħmudija tat-trabi hija l-istess bħall-magħmudija tal-adulti?’).
‘Kun il-melħ tal-art’
