Jim McGuiggan (00:05)
Baptism in the New Testament is for—the Scriptures say so—Acts 2.38, Acts 22.16, 1 Peter 3.21. Baptism saves you by the resurrection of Christ. On and on. You know that if you know that’s true, whatever it costs you,
I’m not saying this is an easy thing for you, perhaps.
But it is what the Scriptures say. Whatever it costs you, do it and teach it. Don’t discourage anyone from following the Lord Jesus in Scripture here. But it’s not just for forgiveness of sins. Here, Paul says, do you know what baptism means? It means you are committed to a life in and like
Lord Jesus. For when you’re baptized, he goes on to say, not only were we buried with him in baptism, we share in the resurrection of Christ, even now Ephesians 2 and Colossians 2, that we were dead in our trespasses and sin, but God rich in mercy. For the great love wherewith he loved us made us
alive with Christ seated us at his right hand in heavenly places. Even now resurrection life is experienced. Our thoughts are different. Our desires are growing better. Our prayers are changing. Our hope is more vibrant. The world changes and has changed for those who have entered Jesus Christ. That now
Paul says, when you were baptized into Christ, you rose with Him and you shared in His resurrection. And if indeed we have been buried with Him, even so will we be, as well as already experiencing it, will we be raised with Him. In a coming day, baptism speaks of our coming resurrection. It’s a big thing.
It’s not a big thing because we make it a big thing. It’s a big thing because it’s in the Bible. You’re smart. You’re accomplished. You’re capable of reading this for yourself.
Let’s you and me do it. The things that we can do that we know are clearly there, the things that we can do, let’s do it. Now to live up to what it is we know and have come to love, that’s a growth process that keeps on going. And it’s never finished. But baptism and a faith commitment to Him in baptism, that can be done like that. Once you know the truth of the matter and your heart
is for him who is for you and me and everybody else. So they said, let’s live in sin that graced me abound. He said, I’ll get out of here. You remember that you were baptized? You remember what your baptism means? And then he goes on to say in chapter six, Christ died once.
What did come for? He came to deal with sin. 1 John chapter 3, what? Verse 8. Christ came to destroy the works of the devil. He comes, God reconciles the world, he deals with sin, throws it out of the way and says to the human family, you’re free to come.
Christ did that in his death once. And having done it, he no longer has anything to do with it. He now is risen from the dead, having conquered sin and death. And now he lives under God, for Paul says, the life that he now lives, he lives under God. Death has no more dominion over him. Christ offered himself in death
death took place, Christ is dead. At that moment, death has dominion over him while he is dead. Come Sunday morning, up he goes, alive, resurrected, and death. No more dominion over him. What is true of Christ is true of all who are in Christ.
If you in faith identify with the death of a Lord and what all of that means, if you say, yes, yes, that’s what I want, that’s what is right, that’s what I need, I’m coming to you. And you enter into union with the meaning of His death. Death no more has dominion over you.