Romans 6:01-14 Death and New Life through Baptism
Paul emphasizes the theological importance of Baptism in this part of the Scripture. The painful death of Christ on the cross and his powerful resurrection experience was compared were to our baptism. Our baptism is not equal to his Baptism. We die through Baptism and when we come out of the water, we enter into glory. Paul wants to bring clarity about the grace of God and the sinning nature of man.
Death Through Baptism
Our Baptism is not a mere bathing experience. It’s not a rite or ritual but it’s an experience of spirituality. Baptism is defined as a religious rite of immersing a person in or sprinkling water as a sign of purification and of admission to the Church. The baptism ceremony accompanies by Christening. People have plenty of arguments over infant and adult baptism. The mode is not important but the life after baptism is important. Of course, Paul here talks about the adult baptism and being completely immersed in the water during the Baptism process. Baptism in the early Church was intimately connected with confession of faith. Paul says if a man descends into the water and the water closes his head refers to the complete burial of a dead body. The coming out of the water refers to being raised from the dead. The man died for sin, bad habits, and evil designs of the mind. The dead man has no connectivity to the world. He is buried completely and there is no connection between the world and its activities. The dead man can’t use his arms, legs, ears, tongues, and eyes. Everything was dead with him and lost its effectiveness. So, a baptized believer is dead to Sin.
New Life through Baptism
Through Baptism man gets new life. He is revived and has put on a new man, and new values. His ethics are changed, and his convictions are changed. His attitude, habits and friendship, and fellowship have a new beginning and meaning. Old is gone and new has come. The old man has completely died and he started to grow like a newborn baby. His boss is changed from self and Satan to God and the divine word. His actions have changed. His surrender and commitment have changed. Death no longer has dominion over the new man. It means the old mannerism is gone new lifestyle has come into effect. Let Christ and his righteousness reign in you and give your body as instruments to execute the new things. So, when you live as a freedman, and new man sin will not rule over you but you are under grace.
Discussion:
1. Explain your death experience (baptism experience).
2. Explain the New Life and its Challenges.
(Further studies in Romans, kindly refer to this cite)
