A Picture of Baptism

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Romans 5:12-21

 

1 Corinthians 15:20-22

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

(ESV)

 

This past Easter weekend, we had baptisms at my Church. The Easter weekend begins with Good Friday a day of grieving the death of Jesus Christ, Saturday, a day of reflection over what occurred on Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday, a day of celebration. With baptism symbolizing the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, Easter weekend is a great time to make a public declaration of faith in Jesus as one’s personal savior.

 

Romans 5:12-21 is passionate teaching providing a contrast between Adam whose trespass introduced sin into the world and the second Adam, Jesus Christ whose death on the cross brought justification and forgiveness from sin (Philippians 3:9-11). In Romans 5:12-21 we observe,

 

1)      Adam, the gateway for the entrance of sin (Romans 5:12-14) – Adam’s sin went beyond just death and eviction from the Garden of Eden for Adam and permeated the DNA of every person (Romans 3:23). Just like our own personal DNA code, one’s personal efforts cannot alter the DNA of sin. When evicting Adam and Eve from the garden, God promised that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15), letting Adam know that it would take a special man with a different DNA to crush the serpent's head.

2)      Jesus, the savior crushed the serpent's head altering the DNA of sin (Romans 5:15-17) – This portion of the passage begins by differentiating the free gift of grace from the trespass of sin. Jesus knew no sin and therefore, did not have any of sins DNA in his body (2 Corinthians 5:21). However, Jesus chose to take sin’s DNA upon himself so that he could destroy sin through his resurrection. This makes it possible for each person to become the righteousness of God through Jesus the covering of sin with the pure blood of Jesus.

3)      Transformation through the bold of Christ (Romans 5:18-21) – The purpose of the law was to increase the trespass or make us aware of the DNA of sin in our lives (Romans 5:20). Obedience to the law can do nothing to alter sin’s DNA for that requires the purifying blood of Christ (Hebrews 9:22). This is the power of the blood of Christ in bringing transformation in one’s life and eternal life.

 

The reason evangelical Christians believe in total emersion in baptism is its provision of a picture of one dying to sin (emersion in the water) and rising into newness of life (coming out of the water). Everyone is born into the corruption of sin as descendants of the first Adam (Romans 5:12) but have redemption from the second Adam, Jesus who died for the sins of humanity even though He did not sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). Paul’s passion for this topic comes from him relating to the corruption of sin as he was once a persecutor and murderer of Christians and on the road to Damascus having an encounter with Christ and rising in newness of life and purpose (Acts 9:1-19). While most do not experience a dramatic conversion like the Apostle Paul, one's conversion from the death of sin to newness of life in Christ is dramatic as it represents the loss of conformity to the world and sin and the process of renewal of the mind (Romans 12:1-2). Paul’s purpose in writing Romans 5:12-21 is a call for its readers to join him in dying to sin and living in newness of life with the second Adam, Jesus.

 

All humanity has two choices. The default choice is to remain in sin and death due to being a descendant of Adam which requires nothing (Romans 3:23) but remaining in this state has the consequence of death (Romans 6:23). One could argue that they have lived in this condition for many years and are still alive but the death spoken of here is spiritual death or separation from God (Isaiah 59:1-13) and eventually physical death (Hebrews 9:27). The good news of the Gospel is there is a second choice, eternity with God through belief (John 3:16). This belief goes beyond simply believing in Jesus Christ for even the Devil believes and shudders (James 2:19) and is a public confession of one’s belief (Romans 10:9-10). Baptism is a wonderful means of making this public confession of faith and something every believer in Christ should do.

 

If you are reading this and have not made a public profession of faith in Jesus as your Savior, I urge you to pray with me now,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

Congratulations to those that just prayed. Know that you are saved even though you have not followed through in baptism for baptism does not save us but is a public profession of faith in Jesus as Savior. However, Baptism is important in that it confirms the transformation that has occurred, so I urge those that just prayed to become part of a local Church teaching the Bible and ask them about baptism. May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post.