Salvation Through The Water, The Spirit and The Blood

Moses 6:60 “For by the water ye keep the commandment, by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified.” (See also 1Cor 6:11)

A baby is born into this world. It enters by breaking open a protective womb of amniotic fluid or “water.” The spirit of the baby is inside it’s physical body when it enters this world unless something happens and the baby is stillborn. Blood is also present as the mother’s umbilical cord detaches.

Mortal life is a journey. “By the sweat of your brow,” Adam is commanded to work. Yet, his sweat isn’t enough. He needs the water of baptism to cross over into a new life with God. He also needs the Spirit and the redemption from the Blood of our Savior on the cross.

What does water represent? It is a “grave” in baptism. In baptism we are lowered below ground level and brought forth up into new life. Water is a symbolic purification required of the Sons of Aaron. (Exo 40:12) Alma says, “Their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb.” (Alma 13:11) The idea that blood washes us white is probably more of a sanctification process than a physical one because we all know that blood stains white clothing.

How does the Spirit justify us? I think there is benefit in looking at this two ways. The Spirit within us is experiencing mortal trials and obstacles. Our choices represent what our Spirit wants to do. Sometimes we get impatient with God and His timing. However, to the extent that we submit to His will, we are justified.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught: “When we are unduly impatient with an omniscient God’s timing, we really are suggesting that we know what is best. Strange, isn’t it—we who wear wristwatches seek to counsel Him who oversees cosmic clocks and calendars.”

The other way to look at it pertains to the Holy Spirits role in the process of justification. Isaiah 45:25 says, “In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel by justified.” That promise applies to everyone who has been adopted into Abraham’s family by entering into the covenant. Paul says in Romans 5:9, we are “justified by his blood.” Paul to the Galatians says are “justified by faith.” (Gal 3:24) I think that as the Holy Spirit enters our hearts, with our permission, we choose to be changed or “justified.” This is what I see Paul trying to say in Galatians 4:1-7.

Paul’s epistle to Titus gets at the interplay of the three. He says, “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:3-7)

In this quote the water is referred to as “the washing of regeneration.”

The Spirit is referred to as the “renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

The blood of our Savior Jesus Christ is not mentioned directly but is implied.

The third factor is the blood by which we are sanctified. In the interplay between the three you could make the case that all three are closely related and talking about the same thing. However, why not just refer to it as redemption if the three are not necessary. I see redemption as a “three-dimensional” process not easily described with one word or along one axis. We are physical and spiritual beings. We are redeemed through washing, anointing and purification. The blood of sanctification refers to the sacrifice of a perfect God as he offers to stand in our place and take the punishment for each one of our sins. Christ did most of his bleeding in the Garden of Gethsemane before he was crucified. Paul to the Hebrews in chapter 9 talks a lot about the blood and the salvation we receive from it. John in the Revelation 1:5-6 also mentions Jesus Christ who “washed us from our sins in his own blood.”

I have felt thoroughly dejected by my own sins and weaknesses. I have been comforted by God’s Holy Spirit in some of my trials. I am a witness that through Christ all of the promises made to Abraham will be given to those who have His name written on their hearts. It may not be in this life, but we are not satisfied by worldly treasures. We wait for a heavenly treasure promised to those who believe God and his prophets.