Romans 6:1-4 - Marked by Christ’s Grace

We all have days that serve as marks on our lives.

I’ll forever be marked by my wedding day.

I’ll forever be marked by my kid’s birthdays.

In the Christian life there are days that mark us as believer.

Baptism is one of those marks of a believer that mark us forever.

Context

What is Baptism to us?

Believer’s baptism

Based on a confession of faith and an understanding of the gospel—we baptize out of obedience to Jesus command.

Baptism does not save—It is a symbol of obedience to be observed with the church.

Baptism is a public declaration of salvation that has taken place.

Baptism “marks” us as believers.

We are identifying ourselves with Christ.

Big Idea: Marked by Christ’s Grace

Big Idea Q: What shows that we have been marked by the gospel?

Stand to read

Romans 6:1–3 ESV

1 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?

Leader: This is God’s Word

Everyone: Thanks be to God

Does sinning more make God’s grace bigger? (v. 1-2)

“The more I sin, the more He can forgive.”

This is a poor view of His grace.

Paul answers the question with a question—If we died to sin, how can we live in it?

When Jesus died and was buried, spiritually we were too (v. 3)

Jesus paid for our sin on the cross.

Jesus came our sin.

He took our sins into Himself and was crushed under the full weight of God’s wrath.

He wasn’t merely injured really badly—Jesus faced the cold, darkness of death.

His physical body died, and the curse of the believer’s sin with it.

Church,

Baptism proclaims the death of our sins (vv. 1-3)

Baptism mirrors the burial of Christ being laid into the tomb.

When we put someone under the water, we are saying “my sin died with Jesus and was buried.”

Our sins died with Jesus on the cross.

“My life as a Christian can no longer be characterized by my sin.”

Baptism is a sacred death.

My old ways, the old self, died on the cross with Christ.

Galatians 2:20 “20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Baptism is a funeral for my past—guilt, shame, condemnation, sin.

I can no longer be who I was because of what Jesus did on the cross.

Church, this means…

We leave our sins in Christ’s grave.

During the American Civil War, there were around 700,000 casualties.

When soldiers would bury their comrades, many would leave a momento.

Something that was a critical part of their lives at the time that they would notice they would be without, so that it would cause them not to forget their battlebuddy.

When Christ was buried, it is as if we buried Him with out sins.

He took it to the grave with Him.

We have tendencies to “borrow” from Christ’s grave.

We come back, take our sin for just a little while, then want to put it back.

We must leave them in the grave, to remember the sacrifice of Jeuss.

This leads us to sing and celebrate as we remember what Christ has done!

We take sin in our lives seriously.

Do we get it perfect? No. Do we stumble? Yes.

But we intentionally seek to put sin to death in our lives.

It was dead and buried—it needs to have a finality in our lives where it no longer governs us because the death of Jesus has set us free from our sins!

Transition

The gospel is more than just the death of our sins.

If the story stops here, there’s no good news at all.

The good news is that the burial isn’t the end of the story like it normally is.

The good news happens on Sunday morning, as Jesus’s body lie cold in the tomb then suddenly takes a breath.

His heart begins to beat again

He woke up what was dead a moment ago!

The blood that brought us peace with God began racing through His veins and Jesus rose from the dead!

The good news is that the moment that Jesus took a breath, He put death to death!

This changes everything for us!

Romans 6:4 ESV

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.

Perhaps you’ve heard the term in the NT “Firstborn from the dead” (Colossians 1:18/Revelation 1:5)

It just mean that Jesus went first.

His resurrection guarantees that we will be bodily raised with Him.

Since Jesus rose from the dead with the glorified body, we have the assurance of a bodily resurrection also!

Just as going under the water is a picture of Christ’s burial, coming up out of the water is a picture of Christ coming up out of the tomb risen to life!

“Buried with Christ in death/raised to walk in the newness of life”

Church,

Baptism proclaims our transformation (v. 4)

Baptism is the believers first public proclamation of faith!

We have been raised with Christ!

Earlier we said “My sins died with Jesus”

Now because of that we proclaim, “I have been changed by Jesus.”

We just sang the song: “Because of Jesus, I have been changed!”

Your life isn’t over, but it sure doesn’t remain the same!

“When someone gets married, a lot changes privately before the ceremony.

The commitment is made. The relationship is real.

But the wedding is when the world sees it.

It’s when the name changes. The identity becomes public.

Baptism is like that.

If I take my wedding ring off, it’s doesn’t mean I’m not married.

Your heart has already been made new — but baptism is when you stand before the world and say: ‘I belong to Jesus now.’”

From that moment on, you’re entire life is different.

Church, as Christians,

We walk in the newness of life.

When we leave our sins in Christ’s grave, this frees us up to a new kind of life.

We are not to try to test God’s grace by sinning more.

God’s grace has given us a new life to pursue true delight in Him/true satisfaction in Him.

God’s grace is not a license to sin, it is freedom from sin!

We no longer live in the weight, the guilt, the condemnation from sin.

We get to experience victory over the things that keep us from God because this is why Jesus died.

We have the Holy Spirit now, to convict us and lead us to repentance which produces the good life with Jesus.

The Holy Spirit sanctifies us, cleanses us, and reminds us of the will of the Lord for our lives—Which is to pursue life with Jesus and become more like Jesus.

If you’re not a Christian

Perhaps you feel stuck in life.

There’s little to no hope/no light at the end of the tunnel

You don’t have to stay that way.

The Son of God died on the cross so that you can have forgiveness with God and a new life in Him.

Repent of your sins and leave them in Christ’s grave.

Today, if you’re hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit, come alive into the new life.

The gospel is free—No down payment, no back pay, no strings attached

Receive this free gift of grace, turn from your sins, and believe in the Lord Jesus to save you.

Then take your next step by proclaiming the gospel by getting baptized!

Will you move toward Jesus today?

Will you take one step of faith toward Him?

Take the Next Step

Stop pulling your sins from the grave.

Take the next step of baptism.

Invite someone to bury their brokenness and live in Christ’s life!

Conclusion

Church, baptism doesn’t save us — it shows us.

It shows our sins are dead. It shows Christ is alive. It shows we’ve been changed forever.

Baptism marks us for who we already are in Christ.

You go into the water buried with Jesus. You come out walking in new life.

So stop pulling sin from a grave Christ already emptied. Leave what’s dead behind. Live in the freedom He died to give.

And if you’ve never taken that step — today is the day.

Marked by grace. Alive in Christ. New life begins now.