Buried and Raised With Him

 

This week I have the great privilege of baptizing a student in our youth ministry.  It is always a joy to participate in a baptism, and this one is especially memorable because I have known this student since she was born.  To watch someone grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord is like watching a slow-motion miracle.  A great privilege indeed!  I had this student read through Romans 6 as they prepare for baptism.  So, I thought it might be a good idea to remind us all what is being celebrated during a baptism ceremony.  There are plenty of verses to look at and this is certainly not an exhaustive discussion on baptism, but here is one passage and a few thoughts regarding the topic.

Romans 6:1-14

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? ² By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? ³ Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For one who has died has been set free from sin. ⁸ Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰ For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. ¹¹ So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

¹² Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. ¹³ Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Things to think about:

·         This passage starts and ends with the discussion of sin.  Should we continue to sin once we belong to Christ?  Notice it doesn’t say “will we sin” because the answer to that question is of course we will – see chapter 7 of Romans.  The question is “should we continue to sin?”  Should we think sinning is okay?  Should we not care about sin?  Should we be proud of our sin?  Great questions and ones the Apostle Paul wants to answer by using baptism as the answer.

·         He proclaims, “no we should not sin anymore because we are dead to sin.”  How are we dead to sin?  Well, he says, you were united to Christ when he died to sin so you are dead to sin.  When you place your faith in Jesus Paul wants you to imagine yourself glued to Jesus, united to him in some way.  So, when Jesus died on the cross, you died.  When he was buried, you were buried.  When he rose from the dead, you rose from the dead!  This is amazing! 

·         Read those few verses again.  What questions do you have about being united to Christ by faith?

·         How can we walk in newness of life like we are commanded to do in verse 4?

·         How does our physical baptism represent this unity with Jesus?  Being dunked under water (dying and being buried), then coming up out of the water (raising from the dead). 

·         Because sin died with Jesus, I am no longer a slave to it.  Instead, I am a slave to righteousness and joy in the Lord in his grace.  How can you walk in this freedom today?

·         Rejoice with others that have proclaimed this truth through baptism.  If you have any questions about baptism or how to be united to Christ by faith feel free to reach out.