3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. -- Romans 6:3-4

Raised To Walk In Newness of Life (Romans 6:3-4)

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This week, Mike Continued our GAME CHANGERS series, where we investigated the importance and role of baptism as the way to "put on the uniform of faith." As a review, here is a working definition of baptism:

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). In obedience to Christ, baptism publicly proclaims that a person is united to Christ by faith in His death, burial, and resurrection(Romans 6:3-4), and is a member of His body, the church (1 Corinthians 12:13). Essentially, baptism visualizes what God has accomplished in us through the gospel.

Our scripture for today, Romans 6:3-4, describes our baptism as personal association with Christ's death AND Christ's resurrection.

Have you ever wondered why this significant ceremony involves the "immersion" and "dunking" of someone as a means to display their faith in Christ? Well, Romans 6:3-4 speaks to this. The basic meaning of the Greek word, "baptizo," is to immerse. This full immersion visualizes what verse 4 is describing. We are buried with Christ...into his death. Just as Christ Jesus was crucified and buried, we who have placed our faith in Christ, our old self, have been crucified and buried with him!

Baptism links us with Christ in his death...and praise be to God, it links us to his resurrection as well.

Verse 4 tells us, "Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in the newness of life." In the same way that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, we who have placed our faith in Christ, are raised to walk as a NEW CREATION (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The gospel, Christ's death and resurrection, is pictured in baptism!

Dr. Michael Svigel says it best,

As each believer individually participates in this act of confession, baptism is at its most personal. Through the act of baptism, a believer confesses his personal faith in the saving gospel. The young Christian confesses that Christ’s death paid for her sins and that His resurrection promises her own future resurrection from the dead. One cannot imagine a more personal, humiliating, tangible, and meaningful act as an outward sign of one’s inward convictions. One may certainly say “I do” to the question, “Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead?” But by actually reenacting these saving works before all, the new believer says, “I believe it, but I also apply it personally to myself once and for all.”

Colossians 2:12 says it this way, "...when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Today, remember your baptism. You are united with Christ in his death and resurrection!