What Have I Learned From Romans Chapter 6?

We have been offered LIFE through faith, and PEACE with God. Adam’s work is undone through Jesus. We have been offered justification, sanctification and glorification. We have died to sin, been united with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection and set free to serve him. THEREFORE: sin must not reign over our bodies and our bodies must not be used to sin. Our lives must be presented to God, our body parts used for God’s glory. We must control our thoughts and our environments and deepen our understanding of His word. When Christians believe that their sin does not matter they separate themselves from God because Scripture says: "The wages of sin is death."

In baptism we were crucified, buried and resurrected with Jesus. Just as the Old Testament sinner transferred his sins to the sacrifice by placing his hands on the head of the animal, so we in baptism transfer our sins to our sacrifice by re-enacting his death, burial, and resurrection. We are resurrected to live a new and different life — one free from sin. Faith and baptism are two sides of the same coin. Baptism is the “tails” of the coin with faith as the “head.” You can’t have one without the other. The Hebrews definition of faith includes action: By faith Abel OFFERED…. By faith Noah BUILT…. By faith we are UNITED with Jesus when we are baptized. Notice how baptism is related to salvation in the following verses:             

— Acts 2:38, We are given the remission of sins and the gift of Holy Spirit.

— Mark 16:15 Jesus says that faith + Baptism = salvation

— Acts 22:16 Luke tells us that baptism washes away sin

— 1 Peter 3:20-21 Peter says that baptism saves us

— Acts 10:48 Cornelius was ORDERED to be baptized

— John 3:5 Jesus says that we cannot enter the kingdom of God without baptism      

— Gal 3:27 By being baptized we are clothed with Christ.

                                                     

In baptism we are united with his resurrection. We are united by crucifying the Old man and by living as freed from sin — The old corrupted self — former manner of life with its evil practices.        

I will thank God that all my sins have been transferred to Jesus and I am free because by faith I was united with Jesus in Baptism. We died with Jesus. He was raised never to die again. Death was no longer his master. I, too, have died and now live to God.  I have experienced the crucifixion and resurrection with Jesus.  Eternal life has already begun for me. It is a present reality. My life must reflect this.