The next section of Romans tells us how to think in order to live as saints (Rom 1:7; Eph 1:1), and to use the gift of justification that God has freely given us. Chapter 6 tells how we have power over sin in our lives because we are “dead to sin”. Chapter 7 tells how trying to keep the law brings condemnation but we are now “dead to the law”. Chapter 8 shows we are “alive unto God” and can have victory regardless of our circumstances by seeing things His way.
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
1.) This is a natural question when we begin to understand grace. Romans 5:20,21 has just said that the more sin there is, the more grace God extends to cover it. So is it okay to sin since God’s grace will abound to cover it? No! God never okays sin.
2,) What does “dead to sin” mean? Remember that death is a separation, not an end to existence. Sin does not cease to exist, but being dead to sin means we are separated from sin. Our old human nature that does the sinning (the flesh) has been cut off from us by the “circumcision of Christ” and is buried with Him. (Col 2:11,12) The sin nature is still there, but we have been separated from it so that we do not have to be ruled by it any longer. Now when we sin, it is because we choose to, not because we can’t help it. Now we have another spirit, another way
to think. (I Cor 2:12-14; Rom 8:5-11)
A circumcision is irreversible. There is no going back to our old identity of sin. It is dead and buried in Christ. (Col 3:3) Our lives should now reflect our new righteous identity. (Eph 4:24) Our works do not affect our salvation, but our salvation is meant to affect our works. (Eph 2:8-10)
3 & 4. ) In verses 3,6 & 9, Paul emphasizes some things we need to know, and then in verses 11 & 13, tells us what to do with this knowledge. Here in verse 3, we need to know that we are “baptized into Jesus Christ”, and therefore “into his death”. What does it mean to be baptized into Christ? I Cor 12:13 says it this way, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body….” Notice that the Spirit puts (baptizes) us into the body of Christ. This is not a man putting us into water. The Greek word “baptize” means to be totally immersed and identified in whatever one is put into. In this case, we are put into Christ so that we become a part of Him, “members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones”. (Eph 5:30) We “have put on Christ”, (Gal 3:27) in other words, we take on His identity, including His righteousness, His past death and His future glory.
In our baptism into Christ, our old self is “crucified” with Him and buried forever. (Gal 2:20) Our bondage to sin is ended. Now our new self can live unto God. (II Cor 5:15,17; Col 3:9,10) To live in sin now is to live contrary to our identity.
We do not feel our baptism. It is spiritual (mentally understood), not physical or emotional. We know it by faith in God’s word. (II Cor 5:7) It is not a symbol of anything, it is a real “operation of God” by which God puts us into Christ’s death and resurrection. (Col 2:12) Notice in your reading, or in a concordance, how often Paul uses the phrase “in Christ” or “in Him”. (Examples: Eph 1:3,4,6,7,11) All of our spiritual blessings are in Christ, the Beloved. Understanding our baptism into Christ is tremendously important in order to understand and live our new identity.
The same power that raised Christ from the dead can now empower us to “walk in newness of life” as if we were already raised from the dead. Although our sin nature will exist until we die, we do not have to walk in it because we are cut free of it now. In Eph 1:18-20 and Col 1:9-11, Paul prays that we will know God’s power in our lives to do this. Where is His power and how do we use it? His power is in His word! (Jer 23:28,29; Heb 4:12) God’s truth changes the way we think, and sets us free. (John 8:32) From God’s word we can learn how He views things, which is reality. We can learn to think like He does and to live according to His values. We no longer have to be run by circumstances, people’s approval, or our own desires. Knowing God’s truth allows us to live above that, with God’s values in view. (I Tim 6:6; Pr 8:11; Is 26:3)
The baptism in Rom 6:3,4 is the only baptism in effect today (Eph 4:5), but it is not the only baptism in the Bible. For example, Mat 3:11 shows 3 baptisms in one verse. None of them are by the Spirit into the body of Christ like ours is. Let’s look at each of them.
Water baptism symbolized cleansing and was an essential ritual to prepare Israel’s priests to approach God. (Ex 30:17-21) At the time of John the Baptist, the kingdom of heaven was at hand (Mat 3:2) in which the nation Israel will be a royal priesthood (Ex 19:5,6; Is 61:6; I Peter 2:9), serving in the presence of God on earth. (Zech 2:10-12 & 14:9; Jer 23:5,6) Water baptism was essential for remission of sin (Acts 2:38) and to be identified with the “little flock” (Lk 12:32) who will survive Christ’s return in glory (Nahum 1:5-7; Micah 1:3-5) and serve Him in the kingdom of heaven on earth. Water baptism is not a part of Paul’s gospel, (I Cor 1:17).
The baptism of the Holy Ghost is “of” the Spirit, not “by” the Spirit like ours. When this baptism is in effect, Jewish believers will be so saturated (filled) with the Spirit (mind) of God that they will automatically think like God and therefore do His will. Jeremiah 31:31-34 describes this. “I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts.” Ezekiel 36:26,27 says, “A new heart (new way of thinking) also will I give you (Israel), and a new spirit (mind) will I put within you…..and cause you to walk in my statutes ….and to do them.” This baptism will enable Israel to keep the law (and stop sinning) and get all the blessings promised for doing so. (Deut 28:1-14)
The baptism of fire refers to a specific time when God will purge Israel like gold in a furnace of fire. (Zech 13:8,9) All the unbelievers that are left in Israel will die when Christ returns in fiery judgment. (Is 4:2-4 & 13:6-13 & 66:15,16) John the Baptist warns of this in Mat 3:7-12. (Do you know why these events did not happen??)
Just for fun, here are 2 more dry baptisms; I Cor 10:1,2 and Luke 12:50
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