Sunday, April 16, 2006

Romans 6 and baptism

In this post, we will try to find out if Romans 6 says that baptism is required for salvation.
Romans 1,2,3:20 - tells us that everyone has fallen short of the glory of God
Romans 3:20-26 - tells us what Christ has done for us and how his righteousness is imputed to us

21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Romans 3:26-31 - tells us that we have nothing to boast about and that our faith establishes the law rather than void it
Romans 4-5:10 - gives us examples of Abraham, David and how everyone now is saved by faith in Christ, like Abraham
Romans 5:10 - 21 - tells us that where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.

Then we come to Romans 6. Previous chapters already tells us how one is saved, that is by grace through faith. Any man who can think for himself, should naturally ask two questions after reading chapters 1-5.
1)If grace abounded more, when sin abounded, then why not sin even more that grace might abound even much more.
2)If we are saved by grace, then we have right now all the liberty to sin as we are under grace.
These two questions are what Paul addresses in chapter 6. He uses baptism as a figure of the burial of our old man(since all who believe in Christ are going to get baptized - it is a must command, but that doesnt mean it saves) to explain that we have died to sin with Christ. So we must not live in our filthy ways of the past but are to present ourselves as instruments of righteousness to God. Those who sin are slaves of sin and those who obey Christ are slaves of righteousness. So those under grace have nothing to do with wilfully sinning against God. Romans 6 in no ways says that baptism is required for salvation. The plan of salvation has already been discussed in Romans 3:21-5:1.

Paul talks figuratively in chapter 6. Consider the word 'likeness'. 'death of our old man' - literal or figurative? 'I was crucified with Christ' - literal or figurative?

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