With Christ In His Baptism

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: Romans 6:3,4
Psalters: 238, 330, 50, 207
Sacrament of Baptism
  1. The meaning of union.
    1. Context (chapter 5) speaks of the two unions in the human race: with Adam and with Christ.
      1. When Paul compares these two unions, he declares the union in Christ to be the greater (16a, 20b).
      2. Paul is refuting a false charge by showing that union with Christ means that one is dead to sin and alive to newness of life.
    2. Our text portrays union with Christ as being “baptized into Jesus Christ.”
    3. Consider being “into” Jesus.
      1. Because grace is greater than sin, and Christ than Adam, we are no longer in Adam, but in Christ.
      2. To be in Christ means that whatever is true of Him is true of all those in Him.
  2. Union with Christ signifies that two things are true of those in Him.
    1. First, we are joined with Him “into His death.”
      1. Jesus’ death was a death “unto sin” (10).
      2. This is confirmed with: “we are buried with Him” (4a).
      3. Having died with Christ, death (and sin) no longer reign over us.
    2. Second, we are joined with Jesus in His resurrection.
      1. N.B. that Jesus’ resurrection was by means of “the glory of the Father,” i.e., by a manifestation of the Father’s power.
      2. Jesus’ resurrection meant that the reign and power of sin and death were completely conquered, for His lives!
      3. “As Christ was…, even so we also (4).
  3. There are great implications in this.
    1. “Know ye not?”
      1. This implies that union with Christ was common knowledge to all Christians.
      2. Converts are early taught about their former union with Adam and their present union with Christ.
    2. By saying “so many of us as were baptized into Jesus” means that not all baptized with water were baptized by the Spirit.
    3. Finally, this implies that we are able to walk in newness of life.
      1. We are dead to sin and alive unto God because of our union with Jesus.
      2. Because the power of the resurrection from the dead is alive in us, the rule of sin is destroyed and can never get us again.