"For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection," Rom 6:5
For the casual observer, this can be a difficult passage of scripture. Surely we want to be united with our Lord, but how do we do so in the likeness of his death? Contextually, the apostle Paul is talking about baptism.
Baptism, my beloved, is a burial. We are immersed in water simulating the covering of Christ at his death. When we accept Christ as our Lord and savior, we give up the life we counted as our own. In essence, we die. Being dead, we are buried. This is illustrated by Paul when he says, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Gal 2:20. Through our death, we receive spiritual life.
We come up out of the water in the newness of life just as Christ did when he was resurrected. We are new creatures, dedicated to living Christ-like lives. Our old fleshly lives deteriorated us day by day, but our new spiritual lives renew us the same way. We come out of the water clean and having done so, it is the blood of Christ that cleanses us as long as we walk in the light as God is in the light, 1 John 1:7.
Why baptism? Because it was commanded, because Christ himself was baptized, because it cleanses, because it is the changing point from our old sinful life to our new holy life, because it puts us in touch with God's grace through this demonstrated act of faith that saves. "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." Matt 16:25
In Revival,
Lee
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