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 By
now you have surely heard the joke about the man who boasted he
was a “crack” shot — never missed a duck. A friend
accompanied him on a hunt, and stood back to let the “expert”
take the first shot. Bang! Bang! and the duck flew away
untouched! But the braggart said, “Take a good look at that!
You may never again see a dead duck fly across a lake.”
Not
really too impressive — for we see “dead” former lives
going about their ungodly ways as though they had never died.
The apostle Paul knew this was possible for he warned, “Let
not sin therefore reign in your mortal body... neither yield ye
your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but
yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead”
(Rom. 6:12-13). Brethren, we must learn to let the dead stay
dead!
Paul
referred to the symbolism of baptism. Jesus Christ died for
sinful mankind (Rom. 5:8-9), and “in that he died, he died
unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God”
(Rom. 6:10). Next verse: “Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves
to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus
Christ our Lord.” And why should we so reckon ourselves? He is
writing to people who were “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” (Rom. 6:3-4).
But
it is apparent that although baptism is “for the remission of
sins” (Acts 2:38); and symbolizes the death of the old man
(Rom. 6:6); the free-agency of man is not impaired.
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The past is forgiven, and the dominion
of the system of law is broken, in that the means of continued
forgiveness is provided. But if we are determined to “deny the
Lord that bought us” (2 Pet. 2:1), we can do so.
Daniel
Sommer once accused preachers of emphasizing “buried with Him
in baptism” a hundred-fold, if not a thousand-fold, more than
the “newness of life” to which the “buried” ones are
raised, or are intended to be raised. The charge is a serious
one. As Christ’s death would be meaningless without the life
that followed; so the “death” symbol is a covenant of
intent, to live a “new” life in Christ, servants of
righteousness.
We
cannot expect people to take our “death” (baptism)
seriously, when it is apparent that our “old man” continues
to live and do business at the same old stand. “How shall we,
that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Rom. 6:2,
7:4) Our neighbors may be worldly, but they are not stupid. How
can we expect them to think our “old man” is “dead” when
they hear him speaking vile language, see him angry, engaged in
sinful activities, or perhaps are cheated by him in a business
deal.
Much
has been written about the necessity of understanding that
baptism is “for the remission of sins.” How about a little
more teaching the candidate that it is also “in order to” a
new life — signaling the end of former conduct, and promising
complete dedication of our “members” to our new Master,
Jesus Christ.
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