Burial and Resurrection by Baptism
Read: Romans 6:2b-10 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. (v. 5, NIV)
Some of the oldest baptistries unearthed by archaeologists in the Near East have steps leading down into a pool of water and steps leading back out. In the early church baptism was a sort of death and resurrection experience—going down into a watery grave and emerging alive on the other side.
That's a biblical picture of baptism. Through baptism we die with Christ and rise again with him. Whether we were baptized as infants or adults, baptism symbolizes that our old self is put to death and a new self emerges, one that no longer even wants to sin. True, Christian baptism symbolizes the washing away of sins (Acts 22:16), but its meaning is not limited to that. It also symbolizes victory over sin—the victory that Christ himself won over Satan when he arose victorious from the grave.
Reflect on your baptism today. Do you feel its cleansing and life-giving power? Sin and death no longer have mastery over you, so don't let sin gain power in your life. Let Christ reign in you, the hope of glory.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for giving me your resurrection power over sin and death. Let me live in the reality of my new self, the self that is clean and free. Amen.
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