Romans 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. --NKJV In the Name of Him through Whom we daily rise to a new life, amen.
St. Paul says that we have been buried with Christ through baptism into death. This is very important to consider. At our baptism, by the grace of God, each one of us actually died with Christ and were buried with Him. The Holy Spirit came to us and took our old, natural, sinful flesh and nailed it to the cross with Christ. In that act the old man was killed. Then he was buried away in the tomb with Jesus. The guilt before God that belonged to us because of the sins of that old flesh was put away because of what Jesus did.
All of this happened for a reason, St. Paul goes on to say. This happened so that we could then rise with our Savior to new Spiritual life. In Christ ’s resurrection the Father declared the sacrifice complete. He publicly announced to the whole world a verdict of “not guilty” in regard to sin. He declared that the world has been reconciled to Him. In Holy Baptism the fruit of that declaration was made the personal possession of each of us. We actually rose with Christ, from the tomb, to a new life of faith. Now, sin has no dominion over us who remain in that same baptism by the power of the Holy Spirit, Who works in us daily to keep the old man down. Now we walk on a different path. We walk in newness of life. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Prayer: Dear Holy Spirit, I thank You that You have washed me by means of water and the Word. I thank You that You destroyed the Old sinful nature in me and raised me up with Jesus to a new life of faith in Him. I ask that You would keep me always in my baptism. Lead me to confess my sins to you and cleanse me until the end of my life. Amen.
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