“…do you not know that as many of us as were BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST JESUS were baptized into His death? 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.” (Rom. 6:3-4) One of the descriptions of “baptism” is whatever is capable of THOROUGHLY CHANGING the character, state, or condition of a person. This “baptism” is referring to the experience of SANCTIFICATION. “…having been 1JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, THROUGH WHOM ALSO we have access BY FAITH INTO THIS GRACE in which WE STAND…” (Rom. 5:1-2) 1dikaioō: to declare one to be righteous. We are declared “righteous” when we are born again but now we need something that will give us power to STAND OR CONTINUE in our righteousness. “…our old man was crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be DONE AWAY WITH, that we should no longer BE SLAVES OF SIN. For he who has died has been FREED FROM SIN.” (Rom. 6:6-7) Does this mean we will never sin? No, it means we are no longer a slave to sin, we have POWER OVER SIN.
“…reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but ALIVE to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore DO NOT LET SIN REIGN (control or rule) in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” (Rom. 6:11-12) We have the power, through sanctification, rule our behavior. “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you WERE SLAVES OF SIN, yet you OBEYED from the heart that form of doctrine to which you WERE DELIVERED. And having been SET FREE from sin, you became SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Rom. 6:16-18)
- Thank God I am free, free, free from this world of sin
- Washed in the blood of Jesus, I’ve been born again
- Hallelujah, I’m saved, saved, saved by His wonderful grace
- I’m so glad that I found out
- He would bring me out and show me the way.
-Bill Stockham