Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. ~ Romans 6:1b-11
Baptism is about death and life.
Christ's death and life. The death and life that we get to take part in.
One way I've always found helpful in understanding this passage is the image of our old self - or our Old Adam - being put to death with baptism and as we live throughout our lives, that old Adam or old self is in its death throes.
Our life is spent putting to death that which keeps us separate from God.
We do become a new creation at Baptism. We do receive new life. But we also know that our life will continue to be filled with contradictions.
We are alive with Christ. Living in Christ.
But that old self just wants to hang on.
Yet even with that, Christ wins out.
Life wins out.
Luther reminded himself frequently of his baptism. When all seemed fraught with fear or worry, he said out loud that was a baptized child of God.
The next time you doubt yourself or the worries and fears that surround yourself, be like Luther.
I am a baptized child of God. Amen
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