The Answer of a Good Conscience toward God

‘But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also 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: by which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison; 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. 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: who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.' (1 Peter 3:15-22 KJV)

Toward, as a preposition: in the direction of, so as to approach; as an adjective: going on, in progress. If you have a good conscience toward God, you deliberately intend to approach, in progress. Baptism does also now save us, not just by the water washing away the filth of the flesh, but as we recognize the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, and answer in good conscience.