“Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11).
It is illegal to bury someone alive, and rightly so. But what about in the Christian faith? Baptism represents death to the sinful life and the taking on of a new life in God. Yet some are buried in the waters of baptism while their old self is still fully alive. Therefore, they are buried alive. This should not be!
On this point, the apostle Paul asks, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” His answer is empathic, “Certainly not!” Why? “How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1,2). Paul understood that Christian victory means death to sin. He uses baptism to illustrate this.
When one goes under the water, they are identifying with the death of Christ. And His death was “to sin” (verse 10). So, ours is to be. Will the alcoholic who died from cirrhosis of the liver, take another drink of alcohol? Of course not, he is dead. Dead to its power and lure! And with death comes burial. Jesus was put into the tomb after his crucifixion. Indeed, we were “buried with him through baptism into death” (verse 4). The Greek word used for buried means to be co-interred with someone. The old self is dead and buried with Christ. As wonderful as this is, it is nonetheless insufficient. For death without resurrection means no power. If Jesus had not risen from the grave, then there would be no salvation, nor any victory.
But Jesus did rise! And by faith, we should consider ourselves risen with Him. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things are passed away, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old self needs to be left behind as we take on the life of Christ. This is achieved through the power of the Holy Spirit. We need not live any longer in bondage to sin. No longer is it our master. Why? Because, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). If we died with Christ, we CERTAINTY will be raised with Him. It naturally follows! This is the Christian life. This is the marvel of the gospel.
Why then should we ever go to the cemetery and dig up the old self that’s buried there, with all its guilt and sin? What a horrible and faithless thing to do! Of course, even without our assistance the old man or woman tries to return from the dust. What to do! Remind him or her of their death. By faith, bid them farewell. How? By going to the cross daily and “consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Grasp this truth in faith! It is a matter of death and life. It is the key to Christian victory.
Image used by permission of SermonView
