Baptized into His Death Rom 6:1-3 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may bound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? There is an aberration from the biblical teaching on grace called “cheap grace.” It is a phrase coined by the German pastor and martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It is an attitude which says in effect, “I’ve been justified—forgiven for my transgressions—and I will go on being forgiven whatever I do; so, I can do whatever I wish.” “In its most common form, this attitude is exhibited in those who see in their justification no necessity to go on to the sanctification God has in mind for them.” (The Commentators Commentary) The religion of cheap grace is based upon a mountain top experience. In this theology, there is no need for obedience. Therefore, mortification and vivification— dying to sin and living to righteousness— are altogether forsaken. “Baptized into His death”— When Jesus was baptized in water “to fulfill all righteousness,”—as our example, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matt 3:16-17) This oracle of God is for all who are baptized by faith in the Lord Jesus. Do not continue in sin, even in self-effort to lead the Christian life.Baptism by itself saves no one, but it is a “sign of profession. It is a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. When a person makes a profession of faith, baptism is a sign of that profession, and a pledge of loyalty to God and the Church. It is a profession of faith in all the fundamental doctrines of salvation as taught by Christ. ‘See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?’ Philip said, ‘If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest;‘ and he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God’ and he baptized him. ( Acts 8 : 36).“ (The Shield of the Young Methodist) Baptism is seen by some to be part of a works-based religion, but they don’t even see it as a good work for they have not attended to it. Many would argue that salvation is not by works, but rather by grace through faith alone. Yet, I contend that baptism should be the first good work of the regenerate. After God has delivered them that fear him from the bondage of sin and death; after they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus, (Rom 3:24) there remains a rest for the people of God. (Heb 4:9) It is found the ordinance of a believer’s baptism. “There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” (1 Peter 3:21) “Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’” (Acts 3:22-23; Deut 18:15) Jesus is that very Prophet. And He said: He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16) When your heart is pricked and you believe in Jesus as the only begotten Son of God, you will ask what you must do to be saved. The biblical reply: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39) If you obey, God promises to send the Holy Spirit to abide with you forever. And just as physical circumcision is a seal of righteousness by faith, the Holy Spirit seals us and gives us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee of our salvation. (2 Cor 1:21-22) “To be baptized is to submit to the ordinance which our Lord fulfilled at Jordan, to which the converted ones submitted at Pentecost, to which the jailer yielded obedience the very night of his conversion. The outward sign saves not, but it sets forth to us our death, burial, and resurrection with Jesus, and, like the Lords Supper, is not to be neglected. Reader, do you believe in Jesus? Then, dear friend, dismiss your fears, you shall be saved. Are you still an unbeliever, then remember there is but one door, and if you will not enter by it you will perish in your sins.” (C. H. Spurgeon) Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go. Jesus answered. Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. (Matt 8:19-20) Jesus was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. (Matt 3:15) If you repent of your sins and believe in Jesus… and follow Him into the waters of baptism, you can joined the ranks of those who have been baptized into His death. In one breath, Jesus says Your sins are forgiven”; Go and sin no more; and Receive the Holy Spirit. (Mark 2:5; John 8:11, 20:22) Your life becomes hidden with Christ in God, but “when Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Col 3:4) Rom 6:4-7 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 for if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 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. For he who has died has been freed from sin. “Newness of life supposes newness of heart, for out of the heart are the issues of life… Walk by new rules, towards new ends, from new principles. Make a new choice of the way. Choose new paths to walk in, new leaders to walk after, new companions to walk with. Old things should pass away, and all things become new. The man is what he was not, does what he did not.” (Matthew Henry) “We were buried with Jesus through baptism into his death.” We gain insight from Dr. Taylor in this mystery. He explains that sumphutoi (grk 4854) gegonamen (grk 1096) is better translated “planted together.” He says: “Our translation does not completely express the apostles meaning. Ta (grk 3588) sumphuta (grk 4854) are such plants as grow, the one upon and in the other, deriving sap and nourishment from it, as the mistletoe upon the oak, or the scion upon the stock in which it is grafted.’” (Adam Clarke Commentary) If we were buried with Christ, let us derive our nourishment from Him and His Words and thereby become fully developed, firm, strong, and vigorous… and bear fruit. In our baptism, we die to self and begin a new life in Christ. “The life lived by the saints in heaven is but the completion and consummation of that life which, after regeneration, they live here on earth. The difference between the two is not one of kind, but of degree. ‘The path of the just is as the shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day’ (Prov 4:18). If there has been no walking with God down here there will be no dwelling with God up there. If there has been no real communion with Him in time there will be none with Him in eternity. Death effects no vital change to the heart. True, at death the remainders of sin are forever left behind by the saint, but no new nature is then imparted. If then he did not hate sin and love holiness before death, he certainly will not do so afterwards.”(A. W. Pink)
Posted on: Fri, 05 Sep 2014 07:51:40 +0000
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