Salvation is also the exodus from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of light. It is the departure from Satan's domain into Christ's domain. As Christians, we are part of a heavenly kingdom that will one day be fully manifested on this earth. In this life, we are no longer bound to this world system, which is contrary to God s thoughts and ways. To be saved, then, means more than escaping hell.
Salvation is a radical transference from one realm into another, from one authority to another.
In sum, to be saved means to come out of this present world system, which is controlled by God's enemy, and to come under the rule of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, we have two examples that represent the profound meaning of water baptism. God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In Noah's day, the whole world had become corrupt. Man had departed from God, and he was beyond recovery.