You are no longer to be dominated by sin. Yes, you’ll struggle against sin for the rest of your days. But there is no need to be mastered by it.
Baptism is a symbol that a boundary has been crossed. A transition has occurred, and there is really no “going back” to the way you were. The price for sin has been paid, and you now walk in forgiveness! The old you that you are so familiar with is a thing of the past:
Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
Romans 6:3-4Romans 6:3-4
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
3 Don't you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptized also share in his death? 4 . When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father.
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Think back to before you came to know Jesus. How would you describe your life? What did you struggle with? What temptations were present? Now think about today. Same questions, but present tense: What do you struggle with? What are the temptations you deal with? For some, the struggles are completely different. For others, they are the same. You might be daily fighting against the same sinful attitudes you once did. As you have followed Jesus, he might have brought victory in some areas, allowing others to come to the forefront. But we are tempted daily. We all struggle – if not with sin, then with what is best; what is God’s will, his current activity, his desire for us every moment of every day.
Baptism signifies this break. Life before Christ is looking for excuses to cover our sin. It is hiding from judgment. It is looking for the comfortable, the way out, what is pleasant, what satisfies our cravings – at least for a time. Our whole nature was bent on suiting ourselves, or excusing ourselves. Well, no more, thank you!
On this side of the baptismal waters, we find that life isn’t about us. These “new lives” aren’t to be squandered on selfish ambition or pleasure, or finding loop-holes through careful reading of God’s word. Jesus didn’t just drain the sin tank, making room for more evil. In these new lives we will struggle against sin. But on this side, we have new hearts. We have new minds. We have purpose and connection we didn’t have before. We can overcome sin, as we draw closer to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Paul wrote the words of Romans 6 to people who were questioning what God’s grace meant in their lives. Some were saying that continuing down a path of sin would actually bring God more glory, by highlighting his mercy even more! Paul quickly points out that this argument misses God’s desire and heart for us. He didn’t die so that we could continue with life as it was, now protected by some magic pixie dust that assured our good standing in the last days. He died to destroy the hold sin had on our lives. And he rose again, not to assure us that we would have some happy ever-after spent in self-indulgence, but to give us confidence and hope.
Confidence, that we can please him as we run from sin and follow God’s will – becoming more like his Son. Hope, that one day we will share in his resurrection and his victory over death.
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