(Read Romans 6:1-11)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” Yesterday we took a look at the fact that Grace is NOT a license to sin. While Grace does abound over sin, we should not continue in sin so that Grace can abound. As a matter of fact, Paul said, “We have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” So that we can see this clearly, I am going to share with you the first 11 verses of Romans 6 from the Message Bible. It reads:
“So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn’t you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!
That’s what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we’re going in our new grace-sovereign country.
Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin’s every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Water baptism is a symbol of us identifying with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
2. In water baptism, when we yield ourselves to fall backwards into the water, it is symbolic of Jesus’ willingness to die for us. We are identifying with His death by making the decision to die to self. Just like Jesus, no one forced us to do it. Jesus willingly yielded His life for our sin, and we must willingly yield our lives for Him!
3. In water baptism, when we go down under the water, it is symbolic of Jesus’ burial. Jesus made the decision to willingly give His life for our sin, and He followed through with it by actually dying. He died a physical death, so that He could conquer death for us all. When we go down into the water we are identifying with His burial. We are saying, publicly, that we are willing to die to self, to pick up our cross and to follow Him. Our old man dies in Christ, so that our new man can live for Him!
4. In water baptism, when we come up out of the water, it is symbolic of Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus suffered, bled, died and He was buried. But He did not stay dead. The Father raised Jesus from the dead with all power in His hand. Likewise, when we come up out of the water we are identifying with Jesus’ resurrection and it is symbolic of the new life we are publicly declaring we shall live. We are dead to sin and we are alive in Him!
5. Water baptism is symbolic of the fact that “we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death,” and “we also get included in his life-saving resurrection.”
6. The Bible says, “Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did.” God saved you by His undeserved Grace and now that you have been saved from sin by Grace, you should also acknowledge the fact that God has also given you the Grace to live free from sin.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for helping me see You Grace in just about everything You do. You sent Jesus to die for me. You did this completely by Grace. I did nothing to deserve Your decision. And Jesus willingly took the assignment by Grace. I did nothing to earn His pain. Jesus suffered, bled, died and then rose from the dead for me. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and You saved me by Grace. When I was water baptized I publicly identified with what Jesus did for me. My public water baptism was an outward expression of the inward change that had already taken place in my life. As I yielded myself to go backwards into the water I was identifying with Jesus’ willingness to die for me. I willingly accepted Him as Lord and I willingly chose to die to self. As I went down into the water and the water covered me, it was symbolic of Jesus’ burial. Jesus embraced death in order to conquer it and I embrace my decision to die to self in order to live as a conqueror. As I came up out of the water, it was symbolic of Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus died, but He lived again. I do the same thing. I have died to self, so that I can live for You. I have been Born-Again so that I can live again, but this new life I live is the life You gave me. Now I am dead to my old man, my old nature and my old ways. I am dead to sin and I am alive in You! I walk in the newness of the life Christ Jesus died to give me and I have the Grace to live free from sin. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
