Resurrected to New Life

Romans 6:3-5

"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his."

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Over the past week leading into Easter, I’ve been meditating upon Romans 6:3-5. For me, meditating on a passage is like marinating meat. I love fajitas. To make good fajitas, you have to let them soak for a while in a marinade. I’ll get a large Ziploc bag, drop in the meat, pour in the marinade, zip it tight, and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. Through the hours of the night, the marinade works its way into the meat, tenderizing and flavoring it. The flavors become a part of the meat; it’s been changed by the process of being immersed into the flavorful liquid. Meditating on God Word is very similar. We immerse ourselves with a verse or passage. We read it over and over again, letting the truth soak deep into our hearts. We’re then changed and transformed by God’s Word.

Speaking of being immersed, this passage is about our immersion into Christ. When God saved us through Christ, we were baptized into Christ. As an outward picture of this inner, spiritual reality, we enter into the baptismal waters to portray both Christ’s substitutionary work on our behalf and his transformational work in our lives. We go under the water, portraying our death and burial. We come out of the water, representing our resurrection to new life.

This passage highlights our union with Christ. We become a part of his body to which he is the head. Our redemption means that we are in Christ and he is in us. We are like Christ and with Christ. And because we’re united in Christ, his death, burial, and resurrection become our death, burial, and resurrection. We have put on Christ – “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27).

In Christ, We Died

Verse 3 says that when we were baptized into Christ, we were baptized into his death. We are immersed or united into his death. We are crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20). Our old lives have been put to death. Paul says in Galatians 5:24 that “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” In the verse following our passage, Paul writes, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” (Rom. 6:6). Our old lives, which were connected to our sin nature, have died with Christ. We’re no longer enslaved and controlled by sin. Praise God!

In Christ, We’re Buried

There’s something final about being buried. Just like Christ was placed in a tomb with a large stone sealing the grave, we’re buried with Christ, setting the seal on our death. As a pastor, I’ve attended numerous funeral services; you may have as well. When we go to the graveside service, the reality that our loved ones will not be with us again in this life is finalized. Burial highlights the permanency of death. When we are buried with Christ by baptism, the permanency of the death to our old selves is ensured. In Christ, we died to sin and have been buried to sin. We can have confidence that we will never ever be under the dominion of sin. Our salvation is permanent and our victory is sure because our old lives were buried with Christ.

In Christ, We’re Raised

Yet, Christ wasn't just crucified and buried. On Sunday morning, Jesus rose from the dead. He’s alive! Our union with Christ means that we too have been made alive. We have been raised from the dead to walk in newness of life. Peter says that “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet. 1:3). We are resurrected into a new life in Christ. His victory over sin and death becomes our victory. God has made us alive together with Christ (Col. 2:13). “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57). Like a seed, we die and are buried only to come up as new life. Our union with the resurrected Christ means that we have been resurrected to new life.

Application

First, give praise. Praise God for all of the benefits of being united with Christ. Praise him that our old selves have died and have been buried. Praise him that we have been raised like Christ. We are new creations; the old has passed away and the new has come (2 Cor. 5:7).

Second, walk in the Spirit. Paul says in Romans 6:11 that we must consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. We are to take seriously the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Because we’re united to Christ, we are to take seriously our spiritual death, burial, and resurrection. We’re dead to sin. To go back to sin is to make our way to the cemetery and dig up our old selves. It makes no sense. That old life is gone. We now are alive to God. Therefore, flee sin and pursue Christ. Walk in new life by the Spirit.

Third, keep your eyes heavenward. Paul tells us in Colossians 3:1-2 that “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” What are the things above? In Philippians 4:8, Paul says that we’re to think about things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. Easter is a time of thinking about the most true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise things. Think about the resurrection of Christ and what that means for us as Christ's followers. Think about this grand redemptive story. Go read the first chapter of Ephesians and think about every phrase that has “in Christ” or “in him.”

Lastly, have hope. He caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Christ (1 Pet. 1:3). Though we walk in resurrected life now, we will experience our full resurrection at the second coming of Christ. Look at this passage again - “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:3-4). With hope, we are to keep our eyes on Christ. We are “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:

that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,

that he was buried,

that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scripture" (1 Cor. 15:3-5).

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~ written by John Mueller