Romans 6:1b-11 At first glance, this lesson from Romans can feel a little heavy. With seven references to sin and five references to death, this just does not seem like a pleasant or happy little passage. Yet, in this passage, Paul is explaining how, through Christ, our lives are not limited to sin and death. Rather, through the grace of God, we may be united with Christ and escape the bonds of sin and death. While it may seem like the answer (be united with Jesus) is simple enough, it can be harder to tell what this passage is talking about. Must we literally die to sin in order to be united with Christ? Are our old selves actually crucified, with a cross and nails just as Jesus experienced? Buried amidst all these references to sin and death, though, is one brief but important statement: “Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (v.4). For Paul, baptism is the answer to all the confusing questions that this passage may raise for us. It is through baptism that we are united with Christ and come to share in the joy of the resurrection, but also how we come to participate in Christ’s death. Unlike Christ’s death, however, the death that we encounter through baptism is not a literal, physical death, but rather a death to our old selves. Baptism marks new life, new beginnings and a transformation of the self, a transformation that is only possible through the grace of God. In this passage, we hear that we are united with Christ through baptism, but what does baptism mean to you? If you are baptized, does baptism play a role in your identity? How has baptism played a part in your life so far?
Posted on: Wed, 18 Jun 2014 14:00:00 +0000
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