• 1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning, so that grace may increase?
• 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
• 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death?
• 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
• 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
• 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-
• 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
• 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
• 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
• 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

I have three points today!

I. This passage is NOT about literal water baptism.

But a lot of people think it is, so first we must discuss water baptism.

A. Immersion COULD be a Bible MODE of baptism. (In our denomination, we accept people who have been baptized by immersion.) And Romans six is a favorite passage of those who practice water baptism by immersion, because it seems to picture that particular mode:

"buried with Him through baptism" = going under the water's surface
"united with Him in His resurrection" = coming up out of the water

B. But other passages in the Bible seem to say that water baptism could be done by sprinkling or pouring.

Sprinkling: Hebrews 9:13-14, 18-22 compared to Hebrews 9:10 "washings" is "baptisms" in Greek.

And the Messianic prophecy of Christ coming and dying for us, and "sprinkling" the nations with His saving blood.

• 13 ¶ See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
• 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness-
• 15 so will He sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
  (Isaiah 52:13-15)

Pouring: The baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5; Acts 2:17-18). He was poured out on the disciples of Christ.

C. The word "baptize" can also simply mean "create a relationship," for example the relationship between Moses and the nation of Israel:

• 1 ¶ For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.
• 2 They were all baptised into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
  (I Cor 10:1-2)

Those who favor immersion as the only acceptable mode of baptism are fond of pointing out that the Israelites' heads were under the level of the surface of the water of the Red sea, so they were immersed. Those who sprinkle are fond of pointing out that the Israelites were totally dry as they walked on the sea bed, but that as they walked through, the wind was probably blowing down a little sprinkle of water on their heads.

Actually, you might say it was the Egyptian soldiers and chariots that got immersed, when God brought the sea back on them, after the Israelites had gotten across, and were save on the other side.

D. Some people insist that Jesus was baptized by immersion, but the Bible never says that. Only the Synoptic Gospels record the baptism of Jesus, but not a single one of the Gospels says HOW John the Baptist baptized Jesus...

• 13 ¶ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John.
• 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?"
• 15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness." Then John consented.
• 16 As soon as Jesus was baptised, he went up out of the water.
  (Matt 3:13-16)

• 9 ¶ At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan.
• 10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
  (Mark 1:9-10)

• 21 ¶ When all the people were being baptised, Jesus was baptised too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened
• 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
  (Luke 3:21-22)

But, as we delve deeper into Romans Six, you will see that it is not really about water baptism. Water is never mentioned at all.

II. Romans Chapter Six is about the Baptism by the Holy Spirit.

• 12 ¶ The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
• 13 For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. (I Cor 12:12-13)

WATER baptism does NOT do what Romans six says that BAPTISM does, so it must be about the baptism by the Holy Spirit.

The ceremony with water does not unite a person with Jesus Christ in His death, in His burial, or in His resurrection. Water baptism is a SYMBOL of that, but the uniting with Christ only happens when a person repents, and believes and is BAPTIZED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT into the body of Christ.

Some denominations teach that the water of baptism saves your soul, washes away your sins, regenerates you, and makes you one with Jesus. But we do not believe that in the PCA, and most Protestant denominations don't believe in "baptismal regeneration." We disagree with the Roman Catholic church, the Mormons, the Lutherans and with the Church of Christ on this point.

For example, on the Official Missouri Synod Luthern Church website, we find this:

"Although we do not claim to understand how this happens or how it is possible, we believe ... that when an infant is baptized God creates faith in the heart of that infant. This faith cannot yet, of course, be expressed or articulated, yet it is real and present all the same. This faith needs to be fed and nurtured by God's Word, or it will die. Those who have been baptized, but who no longer believe, will not be saved."

There are several doctrines here with which we would strongly dis-agree. We don't believe that God creates faith in the infant's heart when the infant is baptized. We don't believe that those who HAVE saving faith can ever lose it. Of course there is such a thing as a "false faith" but that would certainly not be the sort of faith given by God Himself!

In our denomination, we believe that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, and not by sacramental ceremonies. We believe that the sacraments of the Lord's Supper and baptism, are merely signs and seals, and that they in themselves are not powerful to save.

It is the baptism by the Holy Spirit, which all Christians have. It is the baptism by the Holy Spirit that washes away our sins, and unites us with Christ, and with all who are in Christ.

III. The major theme of this passage (and continuing through Romans chapter eight) is Sanctification by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

"Sanctification" is the theological word for "sinning less and less, and growing more and more like Christ everyday."

"Shall we continue in sin? By no means!" (Romans 6:1-2)

"By no means" is the most powerful NEGATIVE in the ancient Greek language. No! Not! Never! No-how! No-way! Impossible! Never in a million years! No, no, no! And what part of N-O don't you understand!!!"

There is a progression in the Christian life. When you come to Christ, you are just a baby Christian. You have a new spirit on the inside, created in righteousness. But you are still "in the flesh," and you will carry your sinful flesh around with you for the rest of your life. So now you have a raging battle between your flesh and your spirit (more about that in Romans chapter seven!)

Much of the Bible is about sanctification. For example: Jesus' parable about the vine and the branches in the Gospel of John. We must remain in Him to bear fruit.

• Joh 15:2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
• Joh 15:4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
• Joh 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
• Joh 15:8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
• Joh 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

We also have Paul's lessons to the Galatians (chapter five) about walking in the flesh versus walking in the Spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit in us.

• 19 The acts of the sinful nature (flesh) are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
• 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
• 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
• 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
• 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
• 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
• 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Summary and Conclusion:

What is the message of Romans Six?

• 1. It is not really about the mode of water baptism.
• 2. It is about our union with Christ, brought about by the baptism by the Holy Spirit.
• 3. It is about sanctification: conquering sin; and growing in grace.