Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? herefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life
(Romans 6:3-5 NKJV)

we get into Christ by baptism

Paul’s discussion of baptism in Romans 6 refutes an attitude of some Christians who thought they could continue in their sins. Some tried to excuse this immoral yearning by claiming that sin highlights the grace of God—He is the great Forgiver! In addition, there were opponents who accused Paul of undermining holiness because he taught the removal of the old law.

He replies to this nonsense by showing that the Christian has died to sin and thus cannot continue to live in it (Rom. 6:2). Christ has died for us; the moment when this death had its saving effect on us was when we were baptized (Rom. 6:3). A baptism into Christ is a baptism into His death. Our baptism forces the end of one life and the beginning of another.

We cannot be saved “out” of Christ. We are baptized “into” Christ Jesus, and are thus united with Christ. We see a parallel in the baptism of the Israelites (1 Corinthians 10:2) —“all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” Moses became their new leader. How did they get “into” Moses? By their baptism. Just as their baptism united Israel with Moses, our baptism unites us with Christ. If Israelites had refused their baptism, they would have remained in Egyptian slavery. If we refuse the Lord’s baptism, we remain in satanic slavery: “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin” (Rom. 6:6).

Baptism is not only a funeral, but a resurrection. We were buried by baptism into Christ and into His death (Rom. 6:3). Just as Christ did not remain buried, but was raised, even so we did not remain buried, but were raised to walk in newness of life. Our emergence from the water of baptism is a resurrection to a life of holiness. Our old life was sinful; our new life is a new way of walking (living) as the Lord directs. The idea of a Christian who walks in sin is a gross contradiction of the gospel.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). True life is in Christ. We get into Christ by baptism. What could be plainer?

– Rick Duggin