BAPTISM SUNDAY (Romans 6:1-11)

Baptism

What is Baptism?

Baptism is a public profession of faith in Christ and a symbol of the believer’s union with Christ in His death and resurrection.

It symbolizes the cleansing and washing away of sins, and the new life that the believer has in Christ.

We like to say its a physical symbol of an invisible reality.

In Romans 6, Paul highlights the meaning of Baptism.

Leding up to Romans 6, evidently many in the Roman church argued that since everything depends on grace, our part should be to give grace the maximum scope in which to operate.

AKA, “If we go on sinning, God’s grace is truly on display.”

Let’s Read the first 11 verses, and unpack it really quickly.

Romans 6:1–11 ESV

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 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. 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. 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. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Should we sin, to really show the world God’s extravagant Grace?? NO. By no means Paul says… and there’s 3 things I want to say really quickly about his answer…

First, Baptism symbolizes we have died to sin.

Before faith in Christ, Ephesians 2:1 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins” . So before Christ WE ARE DEAD IN SIN.

Here Paul says that when we were baptized, we are baptized INTO Christ’s death and conseqeuntly we are dead TO sin.

That’s what is symbolized by going into the water, and one of the many reasons we practice baptism by immersion.

Secondly, Baptism symbolizes we have been raised to new life.

vs. 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.

Paul goes on to say that that the one who has died with Christ, has been set free from sin.

Now Romans 7 makes it clear that we do in fact continue to sin at times,

But because of Christ’s death and resurrection, through faith we have been set free from the POWER OF SIN. You are no longer slaves to sin.

vs. 4, “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

The grace of Christ breaks the bonds of your enslavement to sin, and actually gives you the power to live rightly.

As my 8 year old told me when we worked on his testimony…

“Dad, it’s not that I don’t do bad things now, I JUST DON’T WANT TO.”

He gives us a new heart. New desires. To live rightly, and not in sin.

Finally, because we have died with Christ, and have been raised with Christ, we must “consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Jesus died once for all, but the life he lives is unto God.

You too, by publicly professing faith in Christ and symbolizing that faith in baptism are now called to live UNTO GOD.

Conclusion,

As these 13 today step into the baptismal they will be asked 2 questions that signify what we just read in Romans 6.

Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?

That he came to earth, lived a perfect life, died on the cross for your sins, and on the 3rd day he rose again?

Will you submit your life to follow Him?

To do what he says for you to do and to go where he says for you to go?

Christ died for our sins, we died with him through faith, in order to live for Him for eternity. I’m excited to celebrate that for these 13 today.

AND THIS IS A CELEBRATION. NOT S FUNERAL BUT A RESURRECTION!