One of the reasons for baptism by immersion is that going under the water
symbolises our going into the grave - associating us with the death of
Christ, and indicating our ‘death’ to our previous life of sin and
ignorance. Coming up out of the water connects us with the resurrection of
Christ, relating us to the hope of resurrection to eternal life at his
return, as well as to living a new life now, spiritually triumphant over sin
on account of Christ’s victory achieved by his death and resurrection.
“...all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his
death. 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. If we have been united with him like
this in his death (by baptism), we will certainly also be united with him in
his resurrection” (Rom. 6:3-5NIV).
Because salvation has been made
possible only through Christ’s death and resurrection, it is vital that we
associate ourselves with these things if we are to be saved. The symbolic
dying and rising again with Christ, which baptism enacts, is the only way to
do this. It should be noted that sprinkling does not fulfil this symbol. At
baptism, “our old self (way of life) was crucified” along with Christ on the
cross (Rom. 6:6NIV); God “made us alive with Christ” at baptism (Eph.
2:5NIV). However, we still have human nature after baptism, and therefore
the fleshly way of life will keep raising its head. The ‘crucifixion’ of our
flesh (human nature) is therefore an on-going process which only begins at
baptism, hence Jesus told the believer to take up his cross each day and
follow him, as it were, in the procession towards Calvary (Lk. 9:23; 14:27).
Whilst a life of true crucifixion with Christ is not easy, there is
unspeakable consolation and joy through being also united with Christ’s
resurrection.
Christ brought about “peace through the blood of His
cross” (Col. 1:20) – “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding”
(Phil. 4:7). Concerning this, Jesus promised: “Peace I leave with you, My
peace I give to you; not as the world gives (peace) do I give to you” (Jn.
14:27). This peace and true spiritual joy more than balances out the pain
and difficulty of openly associating ourselves with the crucified Christ.
“For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also
abounds through Christ” (2 Cor. 1:5).
There is also the freedom which
comes from knowing that our natural self is really dead, and therefore Jesus
is very actively living with us through our every trial. The great apostle
Paul could speak from his own experience of this. “I have been crucified
with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the
life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God” (Gal.
2:20).
“Baptism ... now saves you ... by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ” (1 Pet. 3:21NIV) because our association with Christ’s resurrection
to eternal life gives us access to the same at his return. It is through
sharing in this resurrection, then, that we will finally be saved. Jesus
stated this in very simple terms: “Because I live, you will live also” (Jn.
14:19). Paul likewise: “We were reconciled to God through the death of His
Son ... we shall be saved by His life” (resurrection; Rom. 5:10).
Time
and again it is emphasised that by associating ourselves with Christ’s death
and sufferings in baptism, and our subsequent way of life, we will surely
share in his glorious resurrection:-
“If we died with (Christ), we shall
also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him” (2 Tim.
2:11,12).
“We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that
the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body ... because we know that
the one who raised the Lord Jesus ... will also raise us with Jesus” (2 Cor.
4:10,11,14NIV).
Paul shared in “the fellowship of (Christ’s) sufferings,
being (by his hard experience of life) conformed to His death, if, by any
means, I might attain to the resurrection from the dead.” as experienced by
Christ (Phil. 3: 10,11 cf. Gal 6:14).