It is interesting that many wrongheaded ideas on grace have used Paul's letter to the Romans as a jumping off point. A line of false teaching about man's ineffective works toward God can be traced from Paul's own day to Augustine (4th century) to Martin Luther and John Calvin (16th century) to Neo-Calvinists today, and all of them claim Romans as their proof text. This is particularly odd considering Paul's discussion of baptism in chapter six of this letter. Most in the religious world do not believe in the necessity of baptism for salvation, claiming that those who do are trying to save themselves by works, but Paul, who indeed writes very eloquently on grace, certainly has a different viewpoint on what baptism does for the Christian.
""Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin"" (6:4-7).
In four verses totaling less than 100 words, Paul details benefits derived from baptism without which man is lost, separated from God and a slave to sin. The difficulty is in understanding the significance of baptism without taking it out of its context in the plan of salvation. Paul is able, in this sixth chapter, to show baptism's necessity in bringing us into contact with His death, burial and resurrection (vv. 4-6), and further, to show the importance of changing our lives (vv. 11-14), and yet is still able to say, "". . . the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord"" (v. 23). So while stressing baptism, we must still understand it is God's power and grace, not our doing, which saves us. At the same time, to stress God's grace to the exclusion of man's doing is a lie not found in scripture. God has made possible salvation, but man must respond (which will involve some doing) to God's call. Let us examine then, the benefits of baptism as Paul saw them.
Baptism is a figure which unites us with His death, burial and resurrection. Paul does not leave such a concept to our imagination, for he explains that when we are baptized, we crucify our old sinful life. When we come up out of the waters of baptism, we are raised (resurrected) to walk in a new life, one which is not characterized by slavery to sin. Our new life is embodied by our desire to avoid and master sin (vv. 12-14).
Paul continues with a discussion of the slave/master relationship, explaining that we will serve someone, either sin (Satan) which results in death, or obedience (God) which results in righteousness (v. 16). Baptism has given us a further opportunity, a second chance so to speak, to choose to serve God. No matter how bad our lives may be messed up, this second chance gives us the opportunity to go to heaven, as God completely overturns the verdict of death which we deserve.
The apostle further explains the need to be slaves to righteousness (v. 19). Americans, with our I-know-my- rights attitude, have difficulty here, but the point is to let what is true and right guide our every move. We may think we ""exercise freedom"" by lying, drinking or committing immorality, but in reality, we merely allow ourselves to be enslaved to sin, which will ultimately result in death. Why not choose the velvet bonds of life in Christ, a ""slavery"" which will result in sanctification?
Paul asks a question which begs asking of all who would choose a life of sin, ""Therefore what benefit were you deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed?"" (v. 21). The life of sin brings nothing but heartache and pain and, ultimately, death. The new life which baptism brings us gives sanctification and eternal life.
Baptism, out of its context, offers nothing, but when combined with faith and obedience to God's word, it allows us to receive His marvelous gift, thus its essentiality cannot be denied.
Book
of the Month The Westside church is focusing on 12 books of the Bible
this year, reading each of them carefully to really understand them and
to learn how to be better Bible readers and students. The book for December
is Romans.