Peter does not intend to say that the fact of being outwardly washed with the water of baptism is itself your salvation or guarantees your salvation. That would contradict his own message repeated so often about the work of Jesus Christ on the cross (1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18). With the term “baptism” Peter denotes the saving work of Jesus Christ in washing away our sins. Where “baptism” illustrates and personalizes Jesus’ work, Peter can freely assure his readers—“elect exiles of the Dispersion”—that “baptism…saves you” (as the flood destroyed the godless of long ago).
21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,