Dead to Sin, Alive to Christ

The change of identity that occurs during baptism must also lead to a change in attitude and lifestyle. Paul, an apostle of Jesus, reminds us that the free grace of God should not be a license to remain in sin.

            "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 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, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:1­4).

Baptism teaches us to say no to sin and yes to God's will.

We used to be rebellious children and went our own ways. But the life that we live after baptism is no longer ours, but Christ's. We ought to live as obedient children and determine to become as perfect as our Heavenly Father.

Even so, it is not by our efforts that we can live out God's perfect nature. With God's grace in our lives, we can have power over our own weaknesses. The salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ is a life-long gift. As long as we determine to be obedient to God, he will continue to transform our lives. By building and keeping a trusting relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ after baptism, we can witness how God continues to work wonders in our lives.