Romans 6:4,5 “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.”
When we hear that two people we know are related we will often look for the family likeness, maybe a nose, something around the eyes, or the shape of their head. We know that we join the family of God through salvation, but what a wonderful thing to have the family likeness! Paul told the Romans that this is the purpose of our baptism, to identify with Christ’s death and resurrection.
It is often said that “blood is thicker than water” in reference to family ties being greater than friendships. We are powerfully related to Christ and our fellow Christians by both blood and water! The blood of Jesus Christ is the most powerful tie imaginable. When we accept His cleansing for our salvation we find ourselves bound to the Lord so strongly that nothing can sever the eternal relationship! We share that relationship with other believers.
Then there is the water of baptism through which we are united with the Church, the Body of Christ.. Publicly identifying with Christ is a big and sometimes very dangerous step in some cultures. It can bring tension to families with strong religious traditions here as well. We are not seeking to alienate our relatives, but we stand for something in order to help those whom we love come to see the preciousness of our relationship with Christ, a relationship which they can have as well.
Certainly we do not want to be ashamed of Christ but to obediently identify with Him and His other followers on this earth. Baptism by immersion, by our own choice, after salvation, is the means of identification that the Lord has commanded. Let me encourage you, if you have not yet taken this step of obedience, get your questions answered and take the plunge!
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