We Who Were Baptized into Christ

In this passage Paul changes direction and explains how believers whose sins have been forgiven should live. Having until now stressed the condition of sinners and the need for grace, Paul now urges those who have been declared righteous to live with perseverance and with a heavenly hope. Sanctification is not simply living a morally good life; it comes about through a life of knowing God's will and obeying out of a loving heart.

But the misunderstanding can arise that because grace abounds, it is all right to sin more. Paul says firmly that we who died to sin cannot live in it any longer. This helps us grasp the meaning of baptism: that we died and were buried with Jesus on the cross and have entered into the new life of the resurrection. What matters is not a formal baptism, but believing that, united with Christ, our old self was crucified and the body of sin was put to death.

Just as God held back the pursuing Egyptian army when the Israelites crossed through the middle of the Red Sea, believers also face suffering and temptation in this world. But God protects and leads us, and this shows that even Satan's plans play out under God's sovereignty. Believers must grasp this truth deeply and live according to God's will, not the world's judgment.

As people who have died and risen with Christ, we must not become slaves of sin but enjoy freedom. When we overcome our sinful nature by the Holy Spirit's leading and live with our minds set on the things of heaven, we can be protected from Satan's attacks. Then how should we put this amazing grace and the fact of our union with Christ into practice in daily life?