Made New
Join Pastor Greg in this sermon on the importance of water baptism.
Devotionals from This Message
Five short reflections drawn from this message — Monday through Friday.
The Importance of Burial
Thursday
'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.' - Romans 6:4
There's a crucial difference between someone who's dead and someone who's buried. Dead people can potentially be revived, but buried people need resurrection power. This distinction is vital to understanding the complete transformation that happens when we come to Christ.
Many Christians experience what could be called "spiritual CPR." They kill their old nature on Sunday, feeling renewed and committed to change. But come Monday morning, they're performing CPR on their old self, trying to revive the very patterns and behaviors they thought they'd left behind.
The problem isn't that they didn't die to sin - it's that they never buried their old nature. Burial is final. When something is buried, you can't just decide to bring it back to life on a whim. It requires supernatural resurrection power.
This is why baptism includes the act of going completely under the water. It represents the complete burial of your old self. You're not just saying goodbye to your old life; you're declaring it dead and buried, never to be revived again.
When you emerge from the water, you're demonstrating that the same resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead now lives in you. You're not the same person who went under - you're a new creation with access to divine power for living.
If you find yourself constantly struggling with the same old issues, perhaps it's time to truly bury them. Stop trying to revive what God has declared dead. Instead, embrace the resurrection life He's given you and walk in the power of His Spirit.
I'm afraid too many times, here's what happens, that we'll get saved. And come Monday morning, we're doing CPR on our old man because we didn't bury him. Oh, we killed him. We killed him Sunday. But come Monday, come on, Come on, old man. Come on, old man. Come on, come on. Life again.
Reflect: What aspects of your old life do you keep trying to "revive" instead of keeping buried, and how can you more fully embrace your new identity in Christ?
Prayer: Father, help me to truly bury my old nature and stop trying to revive what You've declared dead. Give me the strength to walk in resurrection power and live as the new creation You've made me to be. Let Your Spirit guide me into the abundant life You've promised. Amen.
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