Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Have you ever thought about why Jesus has commanded water-baptism in the life of the believer? It is not because the believer is saved by water-baptism, as the event is merely symbolic. It is very important symbolism, but it is not the act of baptism that saves, or even assures salvation for the one who has made a profession of faith. (Some think water-baptism is required for salvation. According to God’s Word, this is not the case – see the thief on the cross.)
First, we can say presenting yourself for public water-baptism is simply an act of obedience to Jesus. Those who have made a profession of faith, now take a step in faith by following His command to be identified publicly as a follower of Christ. This is a very big deal in the life of the new believer. It is an act of submission. What’s the big deal about being lowered beneath the surface of the water and raised again? Well, forgetting about the symbolic importance of the act for the moment, let us consider we are doing it because Jesus said so. Period. In the same way those in the camp of the Israelites were commanded to look upon the bronze serpent to be saved from death. How could that work? Faith. That’s it. God desires us to express our faith with actions that sometimes make no sense to our flesh, and publicly expose ourselves as God-followers. “I did it because God said to.”
But what about the symbolism? (This is the second point.) We are demonstrating an understanding we are not the same. Lowered beneath the surface of the water, we are willingly dying to our old selves. No one is forcing us; we are demonstrating we have made that choice. “My old life of sin is dead.” Raised from the water, we are raised in the newness of life, just as Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day. We are justified by His death, but we are saved by His resurrection.
Now, having made this very important symbolic statement about our life in Christ, how could we then go back to the life we have lived previously? No, I have died to that life of sin once and for always. My water-baptism reminds me I have made that choice.
- Pastor Bill
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