The PICTURE of BAPTISM—Romans 5:19—6:18
Need:
How are Baptism & Resurrection Sunday related? Why do we Baptize? What is the significance of Baptism?
Paul detailed the rich meaning behind the ordinance of baptism of the power of Christ’s resurrection.
(Christian)Baptism is a picture of the power of Christ’s resurrection.
How is the power of Christ’s resurrection pictured in (Christian)baptism?
5 pictures of the power in Christ’s resurrection thru (Christian)baptism.
Background:
Rom. 5:19-21—
:19—“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”
Adam’s sin/disobedience brought sin to many—all his progeny(mankind).
In a similar manner, one man’s obedience/sinlessness brings righteousness to many—all His progeny(receptive mankind).
:20—“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,”
The “law”(of Moses) entered into the picture for the purpose that the transgression/sin would increase. However, this very increase of sin actually caused God’s grace to be more prevalent. The presence of sin is intended to bring the sinner to a recognition of said sin. Upon recognizing personal sin, one should also recognize God’s antidote for the sin, which is an even more superabounding “grace” which overwhelms the sin.
“Offense/Transgression/Trespass”—paraptwma—1) To fall beside or near something; 2) A lapse or deviation from truth & uprightness—2a) A sin, misdeed. Paraptwma is used in different senses, sometimes in a milder sense, denoting an error, a mistake, a fault; & sometimes meaning a trespass, a willful sin. Strong—A side-slip (lapse or deviation), i.e. (unintentional) Error or (wilful) Transgression:-- Fall, fault, offence, sin, trespass.
“Abound/Increase”2X—pleonazw—1) To superabound—1a) Of things—1a1) To exist in abundance, 1a2) To increase, 1a3) Be augmented; 2) To make to increase: one in a thing. Strong—To do, make or be more, i.e. Increase (transitively or intransitively); by extension, To superabound:-- Abound, abundant, make to increase, have over.
From—pleon—1) greater in quantity—1a) the more part, very many; 2) greater in quality, superior, more excellent.
“Abounded much more/Much more abound/Abounded all the more/Increased all the more”—uperperisseuw—1) To abound beyond measure, abound exceedingly; 2) To overflow, to enjoy abundantly.
:21—“so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
This scenario of superabounding grace occurred so that grace might reign supreme. “Sin reigned in death,” very effectively sending the sinner to hell. However in indirect contrast, God’s “grace” produced righteousness & thus eternal life far outweighing even the death which sin produced. This grace “reigns” only thru Jesus Christ who is the Christian’s Lord.
“Reigned”2X(See 6:12)—basileuw—1) To be king, to exercise kingly power, to reign; 2) metaph. To exercise the highest influence, to control. Strong—To rule (literally or figuratively):-- King, reign.
“Righteousness”(See 6:13)—dikaiosunh—1) in a broad sense: State of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God—2) In a narrower sense, justice or the virtue which gives each his due. Strong—Equity (of character or act); specially (Christian) Justification:-- Righteousness.
“Eternal”—aiwniov—1) Without beginning & end, that which always has been & always will be; 2) Without beginning; 3) Without end, never to cease, everlasting. Strong—Perpetual (also used of past time, or past & future as well):-- Eternal, for ever, everlasting, world (began).
1—Baptism pictures a...
Mutual DEATH(6:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10-11, 13)
Explanation/Illustration:(6:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10-11, 13)
:2—“Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
We died to sin in Christ as He died to sin. Christ effectually & permanently did away with the condemnation which sin brought to mankind!
Grace is not a license to sin. Some interpret “Grace” as a blanket denial of “sin.” Some may see themselves as effectual catalysts of Grace thru sin. Their reasoning is that a willful involvement in “sin” encourages/produces greater Grace & that without their personal sustainment of sin Grace would not be effective. Thus the rhetorical question is asked by Paul to the perpetrator—Is such action right in God’s eyes?
Isa. 30:1—“Woe to the rebellious children,” says the LORD, “Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, That they may add sin to sin;”
:1—“Continue”—epimenw—1) To stay at or with, to tarry still, still to abide, to continue, remain. Strong—To stay over, i.e. Remain (figuratively, persevere):-- Abide (in), continue (in), tarry.
“Sin”(Thruout)—amartia—N. f.—1) equivalent to amartanw—V.—1a) To be without a share in, 1b) To miss the mark, 1c) To err, be mistaken, 1d) To miss or wander from the path of uprightness & honor, to do or go wrong, 1e) To wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin; 2) That which is done wrong, sin, an offense, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act; 3) Collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many. Amartia meant originally the missing of a mark. When applied to moral things the idea is similar, it is missing the true end of life, & so it is used as a general term for sin. It means both the act of sinning & the result, the sin itself.
Certainly not/May it never be/God forbid/By no means”(See :15)—mh genoito(V-2AoristMidDep.Opt.-3S) =’Not become’—of —ginomai—1) To become, i.e. To come into existence, begin to be, receive being; 2) To become, i.e. To come to pass, happen; 3) To arise, appear in history, come upon the stage; 4) To be made, finished; 5) To become, be made.
:3—“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?”
If we sincerely excuse our sin so easily then it seems obvious that we are ignorant of at least one important fact. That fact is that anyone who has been “baptized into Christ Jesus” has /as a consequence/also/simultaneously undergone a “baptism into” Jesus’ very “death.” What does this mean exactly? This is explained in :4.
“Baptized”—baptizw—1) To dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk); 2) To cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one’s self, bathe; 3) To overwhelm. Strong—To immerse, submerge; to make overwhelmed (i.e. fully wet); Used only (in the N.T.) of ceremonial ablution, especially (technically) of the ordinance of Christian baptism:-- Baptist, baptize, wash.
:4—“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Christ Himself was raised from “the dead.”
:5—“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,”
:6—“knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”
We know that we will experience Jesus’ resurrection because we experience death to sin.
We know this is true because our “old self”(sinful/fleshly) was crucified with Jesus. This crucifixion took place in order that our “body of sin” would be “done away with”. Once the body of sin is ‘effectively’ no more, then so our slavery to that same sin is disabled & should be no more.
:7—“For he who has died has been freed from sin.
The one who is “Dead” does not respond to the stimulus of sin nor must pay its price! We are “dead” to that which condemns us!
:8—“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
:9—“knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.”
:10—“For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.”
:11—“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
:13—“And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, & your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”
Death permeates every thought in these verses.
Baptism is intended to picture death, among other things.
Argumentation:
Rom. 8:10—“And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
Eph 2:1-3—“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses & sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh & of the mind, & were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”
Application:
?Your Baptism Real? Are you Dead to sin?
?Your Baptism picture a Mutual DEATH?
?Your Baptism Pictured the Power of Christ’s Resurrection?
2—Baptism pictures...
Mutual BURIAL(:4-5)
Explanation/Illustration:(4, 5)
:4—“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
“Therefore”—Since the former is true.
Since a Christian has been baptized into Jesus death, then we have likewise been “buried” together with Jesus(“Him”) for we indeed bury the dead. We likewise have willingly been “buried” with Jesus thru our baptism which signifies our death(to sin). Our death is a death to the old man/self of sin.
Significance of burial is the dignified removal(from the living) of the body of flesh to its rightful place in the dust from which it was formed.
This burial certifies the ‘old man’s’ death as accomplished accepted & removed so that ‘new man’ might walk differently as those who have new life.
“Buried with”—sunyaptw—1) To bury together with. Strong—To inter in company with, i.e. (figuratively) To assimilate spiritually (to Christ by a sepulture as to sin):-- Bury with. Used 2X.
:5—“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,”
“United together/Planted together/”—sumfutov—1) Born together with, of joint origin—1a) Connate, congenital, innate, implanted by birth or nature; 2) Grown together, united with; 3) Kindred. Strong—Grown along with (connate), i.e. (figuratively) Closely united to:-- Planted together. Used 1X.
“Likeness”—omoiwma—1) That which has been made after the likeness of something. Strong—A form; abstractly, resemblance:-- Made like to, likeness, shape, similitude. Used 6X.
Argumentation:
1Cor. 15:3-4—“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,”
Application:
?Your Baptism picture a Mutual BURIAL?
?Your Baptism Pictured the Power of Christ’s Resurrection?
3—Baptism pictures...
Mutual RESURRECTION
Explanation/Illustration:(:4-5, 9, 10-11, 13)
:4—“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
:5—“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,”
Christians walk in newness of life for the same reason that they have “become united with” Jesus “in His death.” It /therefore follows/is only rational/ that, we will, just as certainly, be united with Jesus in His resurrection/new life or at least in like manner as His “resurrection.” The Christian will be “united together” in Jesus’ “resurrection.”
“Resurrection”—anastasiv—1) A raising up, rising (e.g. from a seat); 2) A rising from the dead. Strong—A standing up again, i.e. (literally) A resurrection from death (individual, genitive case or by implication [its author]), or (figuratively) A (moral) recovery (of spiritual truth):-- Raised to life again, resurrection, rise from the dead, that should rise, rising again.
:9—“knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.”
:10—“For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.”
:11—“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
:13—“And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, & your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”
Argumentation:
There are at least 7 theories(John MacArthur) proposed by those who would deny the resurrection:
Swoon—No burial—Hallucination—Telepathy—Seance—Identity—Theft
Eph 2:4-9—“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Col. 2:9-14—“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; & you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality & power. In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses & the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
Rom. 8:11—“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
You cannot lose your salvation once it is sealed!
*1Cor. 15:12-19—“Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up--if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”
The Christian faith depends upon the resurrection of Christ & thereby their own!
Application:
?Your Baptism picture a Mutual RESURRECTION?
?Your Baptism Pictured the Power of Christ’s Resurrection?
4—Baptism pictures...
Mutual LIFE(:4, 6, 8, 10-14)
Explanation/Illustration: (:4, 6, 8, 9, 10-14) Direction
:4—“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
The Christian’s “newness of life” is theirs in the same sense(“as”) that Jesus had new life after being raised from the dead(to new life—Eternal!).
“Newness”—kainothv—1) Newness—1a) In the new state of life in which the Holy Spirit places us so as to produce a new state which is eternal life. Strong—Renewal (figuratively):-- Newness. Used 2X.
:6—“knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”
:8—“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,”
If our death is died in Christ, then our Life is lived with Him.
Jn 1:4—“In Him was life, & the life was the light of men.”
:9—“knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
If death no longer holds dominion, then Life does have dominion!
:10—“For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
:11—“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Christians are only “alive to God” “in Christ Jesus.” “Christ Jesus must be their “Lord” in a very personal sense.
Death to sin & its counterpart—life in Christ— is therefore a choice one must make. Even after having been redeemed from our old life the choice must be made to commit to the truth at every moment.
:12—“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
:13—“And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, & your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”
:14—“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
Neither death(:9) nor “sin” holds dominion over the resurrected person(Christian). We may fail miserably at times but we are not given fully to it.
Argumentation:
Jn. 14:1-6—““Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go & prepare a place for you, I will come again & receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, & the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, & how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, & the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Jn. 10:7-10—“Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves & robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, & will go in & out & find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, & to kill, & to destroy. I have come that they may have life, & that they may have it more abundantly.”
2Cor. 13:4—“For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.”
Col. 3:1-3—“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, & your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Application:
?Your Baptism picture a Mutual LIFE?
?Your Baptism pictured the Power of Christ’s Resurrection?
5—Baptism pictures...
Mutual MASTERY(15-18)
Explanation/Illustration: (:15-18) Slavery/
:15—“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!”
Some claiming Christ, have concluded that God’s grace is to be had in a cold pragmatic sense. Much like Simon in Acts 8:8-24, who tried to buy the reception of the Holy Spirit from Peter & John.
It is an utter absurdity to use the abounding of grace as an excuse to indulge in sin. To sin under grace is to presume the flesh upon God’s love, taking advantage of His grace, thus denying it. Grace can only be received humbly.
:16— “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”
“Slaves”—doulov—1) A slave, bondman, man of servile condition; 2) A servant, attendant. Doulov is the usual word for slave, one who is permanently in servitude, in subjection to a master.
“Obedience”(See 5:19)—upakoh—1) Obedience, compliance, submission; 2) Obedience rendered to anyone’s counsels, an obedience shown in observing the requirements of Christianity. Strong—Attentive hearkening, i.e. (by implication) Compliance or submission:-- Obedience, (make) obedient, obey(-ing).
:17—“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”
“Delivered”—paradidwmi—1) To give into the hands (of another); 2) To give over into (one’s) power or use; 3) To commit, to commend; 4) To deliver verbally; 5) To permit allow. Strong—To surrender, i.e. Yield up, intrust, transmit:-- Betray, bring forth, cast, commit, deliver (up), give (over, up), hazard, put in prison, recommend.
:18—“And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
“Set free/Freed”—eleuyerow—1) To make free; 2) Set at liberty: from the dominion of sin. Strong—To liberate, i.e. (figuratively) To exempt (from moral, ceremonial or mortal liability):-- Deliver, make free.
Argumentation:
1Cor. 6:19-20—“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, & you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body & in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Rom. 10:8-13—“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth & in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus & believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, & with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew & Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.””
Rom. 8:11-14—“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
Rom. 12:1-2—“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good & acceptable & perfect will of God.”
Application:
?Your Baptism picture a Mutual MASTER?
?Your Baptism pictured the Power of Christ’s Resurrection?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
Baptism pictures a Mutual...
1. DEATH(6:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10-11, 13)
2. BURIAL(:4-5)
3. RESURRECTION(:4-5, 9, 10-11, 13)
4. LIFE(:4, 6, 8, 10-14)
5. MASTERY(15-18)
?Are you Baptized into the Power of Christ’s Resurrection?
Presented 04/24/2011am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
This sermon drew an excellent response!
