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Romans 6:1–4
“We were buried therefore with [Jesus] 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” (v. 4).
Sacraments are sometimes referred to as “holy” or “sacred mysteries,” but it is important to note that by such references the church does not mean that the sacraments are fully obscure to us. In the New Testament, a “mystery” is something that was once at least partially hidden but is now more clearly revealed. Dr. R.C. Sproul writes that “a mystery, in the sense of a sacrament, is not intended to conceal something, but just the opposite. A mystery reveals something, and thus the sacraments are nonverbal forms of communication.” The sacraments reveal truths to us. Nevertheless, that they are called mysteries should remind us that there will be limits to what we can say about them. We can know what sacraments teach us and that God works in and through them, but we will not be able to completely explain how the Lord uses them to communicate Himself and His benefits to us.
With that in mind, we turn to the new covenant sacrament of initiation into the covenant of grace: baptism. Baptism depicts several realities to us, one of the most important of which is our union with Christ. Westminster Confession of Faith 28.1 says that baptism is a sign and seal of a person’s “ingrafting into Christ,” and today’s passage plainly teaches this. Baptism signifies our being united to Christ in His death and resurrection. The water covers us, so to speak, just as our Lord’s body was covered by the tomb. Note that one does not have to be completely submerged in water for this reality to be pictured; sprinkling and pouring are also ways to cover with water. The water does not continue to cover us as we emerge from baptism, providing an image of resurrection just as Jesus emerged from the tomb and so its walls no longer enclosed Him, as it were. Baptism, then, shows that we are united to Jesus in His death to sin and its penalty so that we are raised with Him in new, resurrected life.
Ultimately, the application of water in baptism does not guarantee that the spiritual reality of union with Christ has taken place or will take place. Faith is required before or after water baptism for the spiritual union to take hold (1 Peter 3:21–22). Nevertheless, we cannot divorce the spiritual reality from the actual act of water baptism. There is a theological connection between the rite and the reality such that we can be confident that the elect will be united to Christ by faith as surely as they were baptized.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Jesus Himself was baptized as a sign of His union with His people, so our baptism signifies our union with Christ. Baptized persons must trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation in order to experience the spiritual reality pictured in baptism and receive the grace of God given therein. If we have been baptized and trust in Christ, the water’s covering us reminds us that we are united to Him in His death so that we may enjoy eternal life.
For further study
- Psalm 136:13–14
- Matthew 3:13–17
- 1 Corinthians 10:1–2
- Colossians 2:11–12
The bible in a year
- Ezekiel 22–23
- James 2