Theology for Everybody: RomansSample

(Continued from Day 119)

2. Water Baptism. Water baptism is an external, public declaration of a personal relationship. Baptism literally means to plunge, dip, or immerse. We baptize adults by immersion because this act points to an existing relationship with God. Baptism points to Jesus’ death, burial, and Resurrection. As Jesus died and was buried, we also go under the water, having died to all our sins and old life. Then we rise out of the water, showing that Jesus rose again. His life is our life, His Resurrection is our Resurrection, and His walk is now our walk.

There are two lessons from baptism:

1. Death—The old you is buried. We were dead to Christ and alive to sin. Now we are dead to sin and alive to Christ. You may have things in your past that you really regret, but they are now buried with Jesus. Your old life is over, dead and gone. Jesus took care of it. Paul wrote, “Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on” (Philippians 3:13–14).

2. Cleansing—The new you is clean. Water cleanses. In baptism, your old life is buried, and you are now clean and can live your new life. The Spirit of God cleanses you from all unrighteousness. Most Christians believe they are forgiven but do not believe they are clean. As a result, they feel forgiven but not new. They still feel dirty and defiled. Jesus not only forgives us, but He also cleanses us. First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The old you is dead—you are a new person now. In the Bible, this transformation is so supernatural that people often received new names. Abram became Abraham, Cephas became Peter, and Saul became Paul. In the Old Testament, when God's people went to worship, they would put on white clothes to represent they were now clean. Revelation 19 says that when Jesus comes back, we will have the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and the Church— His Bride—will wear “fine linen, bright and pure” (v. 8). We will wear white!

Today’s Reflection

Have you been baptized in water? If yes, then how has your life changed? If not, then what is stopping you?