"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" Romans 6:3
What is it to be baptized into Christ Jesus? The apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Galatia (Gal. 3:26-27): "Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ...." In His letter to the believers at Rome, the apostle said (Romans 6:3-4): "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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." In his letter to the Colossians (Col. 2:12; cf. 8-15), St. Paul says we are "buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with [him] through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."
What does all this mean? It means that we who are sinful and unrighteous of ourselves and stand condemned by God's law under the old covenant enter into a new covenant with God established when Christ Jesus, as our substitute, fulfilled all righteousness for us and then took the full condemnation and punishment required by God's law for the sins of all mankind (cf. Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 10:9ff).
When we are baptized, we are joined to Christ Jesus. His death for the sins of all becomes our death. And, as He was raised up from the dead, we are raised up from spiritual darkness and death and given new life in fellowship with God our Father, as well as the certainty that we too will be raised up unto everlasting life. In this new covenant, our sins are paid for and forgiven and we have new life and eternal salvation. Outside of this covenant, we stand condemned for our sins and face the eternal consequences.
This is why it was necessary for Jesus to be baptized (Mark 1:9ff.; Matt. 3:13ff.). It was not for Himself, for He was without sin. It was for us that we might be baptized into Him and enter into this new covenant in which our sins are washed away and forgiven through His shed blood and in which His Spirit regenerates us, creating faith in our hearts, and makes us alive to God.
And so, when we are baptized into Christ, we are joined to Him in His death and in His resurrection. All our sins are paid for and forgiven and God raises us up from spiritual darkness and death and gives us new life in Jesus, our Savior.
Open up our eyes, Lord Jesus, to see that in our baptism, we were joined to You and have entered into a new covenant in which Your death for the sins of all mankind is counted as our death and Your victorious resurrection means we are accepted and forgiven and have new life in fellowship with the Father. Keep us in this new covenant until our bodies, too, are raised up to live with You in Your kingdom forever and ever. Amen.
[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.
More devotions at www.goodshepherdrogers.org.]
Editorial on 01/14/2015