Romans 6

Again, I am writing for my New Testament class. Enjoy!

Before baptism can occur we must forsake our sins and not partake of it anymore. Baptism is in similitude of Christ’s life. The immersion represents death and coming up out of the water represents resurrection and newness of life. This is why we totally submerse our members in water when they are baptized. Water being sprinkled, wiped, or poured over someone does not capture the similarity of Christ’s atoning sacrifice and his rising on the third day. Romans 6:13 helps us to understand the newness of life that is received upon baptism. About halfway through the verse it says, “…but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”

We serve those that we love, and we know whose servant we are by whom we obey. Romans 6:16 says, know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” The true source of freedom is through God granting us eternal life because we were obedient to him and were his servants.