Some Key Words (8/12/00-8/13/00)

Not know (agnoeo [50]):

 not to recognize, to be unacquainted with; to be ignorant, not to understand, to be wrong; not to know through lack of information, to ignore through disinclination

Baptized (baptizo [907]):

to immerse for a religious purpose, to be washed, to immerse in water as a sign of purification from sin, to become identified with; to immerse, submerge, to cleanse by dipping, to wash, to bathe, to overwhelm, a washing that brings permanent change, a complete union with the one baptized into - beyond mere rational assent; to make overwhelmed, ceremonial ablution

Raised (egeiro [1453]):

to awaken, wake up, to become attentive to one's dangerous position and to God's deliverance, to recover, to rise from death, to erect, to stand up; to arouse, cause to rise, to awake from sleep, to recall from death to life, to rise from a seat, to produce, cause to appear, to construct; to waken, rouse from disease, death, obscurity, inactivity, or nonexistence

Father (pater [3962]):

God, as the creator of heaven and man - the founder of all that is; God as creator of all that is, as father to those who have come into intimate relationship with Him through Christ, as Father of Christ; father or parent

Walk (peripateo [4043]):

to make one's way, progress, to make use of opportunities, to live, to regulate one's life, to conduct oneself; to tread all around, to walk at large, to live, deport oneself, follow

Newness (kainotes [2538]):

renewal, a qualitatively different experience; the new state of life brought by the Holy Spirit leading to eternal life; renewal

United (sumphutos [4854]):

to increase together, growing at the same time, being combined and united with one another; born together with, of joint origin, grown together, united with, kindred; grown along with, closely united to

Likeness (homoioma [3667]):

resemblance; what has been made after the likeness of something, a figure, image, representation, resemblance bordering on equality; a form, a resemblance

Certainly (alla [235]):

nevertheless, rather, moreover, a transitional to the main point; in contrast

Resurrection (anastasis [386]):

a standing on the feet again, rising as opposed to falling, a rising of the body from the grave; rising as from a seat, rising from the dead; resurrection from death, moral recovery

Knowing (ginosko [1097]):

to know experientially as opposed to intuitively, to perceive, to understand, to be conscious of, to discern, to approve; to come to know, to get knowledge by perception, to have knowledge of; to become acquainted with; to know absolutely

Old (palaios [3820]):

old as in having been formerly, old as in longstanding; old, ancient, no longer new, worse for wear; antique, not recent, worn out

Self (anthropos [444]):

man as distinct from gods or animals, man as a species, "upward looking"; a human being, man with the notion of weakness by which man is led into sin; man-faced, a human

Crucified with (sustauroo [4957]):

to crucify together with - bodily or spiritually; to crucify alone with; to impale in company with

Done away with (katargeo [2673]):

to make to cease, to make unfruitful, to make void, to put an end to, a complete and non-temporary cessation; to render inoperative, to cause to have no further effect, to deprive of force or power, to cause to cease, to abolish, to terminate all intercourse with one; to render entirely idle and useless

Slaves (douleuo [1398]):

to be a servant, to serve in subjection or bondage, to have one's actions directed by others, to be reduced to bondage under someone, to be deprived of freedom, to serve in bondage, to obey, to be a slave to something; to do service, to be subject to, to obey, submit to, to become slave to some base power, to yield to, to give oneself up to; to be a slave to

Sin (hamartia [266]):

sin, missing the true end and scope of our lives, an offense in relation to God - emphasizing guilt; to be without a share in, to miss the mark, to be mistaken, to wander from the path of uprightness, to wander from God's law, a violation of divine law; a sin

Freed (dikaioo [1344]):

to justify, to bring out one's righteousness or make one righteous; to render righteous or such as one ought to be, to show one to be righteous, to declare one just, to declare one to be as he ought to be; to render innocent

 

Paraphrase: (8/12/00)

3 Don't you realize that part of being baptized in Christ was a joining in His death? 4 Indeed, by baptism into His death, we were buried with Him so that we also might be raised from death with Him through the Father and that we also might live a new life. 5 Surely, if we have been united with Him in His death, we will also be united with Him in His resurrection, 6 for we know that our old ways were put to death with Him, so that we need no longer be trapped in our sins; 7 For in death, one is freed from sin.

Key Verse: (8/12/00)

6:6 - Our ways died with Christ on the cross, putting an end to sin's mastery over us.

People Mentioned: (8/12/00)

N/A

Some Parallel Verses (8/13/00)

6:3

Mt 28:19 - Commanded to baptize others in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Ac 2:38 - and to baptize in Christ Jesus for forgiveness of sins, allowing the Holy Spirit to be gifted to us. Ac 8:16 - In some cases, the baptism of the Holy Spirit came long after Christ's baptism. Ac 19:5 - In other cases, the two baptisms followed one on the other. Gal 3:27 - Having been baptized into Christ, we are now clothed with Him.

6:4

Col 2:12 - We were buried with Him in our baptism, and also raised up with Him through faith in God's work done in Him. Ac 2:24 - In Christ's resurrection, death's power was broken, for it could not hold Him. Jn 11:40 - Christ told us that as we believed we would see the glory of God. 2Co 13:4 - Crucifixion was necessary because of our weakness. That we live with Christ is because of God's power directed at us. Ro 7:6 - We have been released from the Law by death, and now serve in newness of Spirit rather than by the letter alone. 2Co 5:17 - Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation, for in Him, the old things are done away with. Gal 6:15 - Neither circumcision nor its lack have meaning, only that there is a new creation accomplished in a man, Eph 4:23-24 - which newness is brought about by the spiritual renewal of our minds unto righteousness and holiness and truth. Col 3:10 - We have put on this new self and are being renewed by true knowledge, coming to accord with the image of God the creator - with no regard for breed, because Christ is all.

6:5

2Co 4:10 - We seek to make Jesus manifest in our lives. Php 3:10-11 - We seek to know both His power in resurrection and His suffering, to conform to His death so that we may attain to His resurrection. Col 2:12 - We were both buried and raised up with Him in baptism. Col 3:1 - Having been raised with Him, we ought to continue seeking the things above - where He is, at God's side.

6:6

Eph 4:22 - We lay aside our old self, which was corrupted by its deceitful lusts. Col 3:9 - Having so laid aside our past, we ought no longer to lie one to another. Gal 2:20 - I am crucified with Christ, and no longer live, but rather Christ lives in me. My life is by faith in Jesus who loved me and gave Himself up to death for me. Gal 5:24 - We who belong to Christ have crucified our passions and desires of the flesh. Gal 6:14 - So crucified to the world, there is nothing left to boast of except our Lord Jesus, and His work on the cross. Ro 7:24-25 - How are we set free from the body of our sin? By Christ Jesus!

6:7

1Pe 4:1 - He who - as Christ before him - has suffered in the flesh ceases from sin.

 

New Thoughts (8/14/00)

It all sounds so simple, and in a way it really is. And yet, to truly die with Him, to truly die to our fleshly desires and our sins, is an incredible challenge, and one that is likely to continue to challenge us throughout our lives. I must confess that at my own baptism, the full implications of what was occurring never registered on me. A sad statement to make, but true. It just didn't have the impact on me it really ought to have. I wonder how many, like myself, have not been sufficiently taught, or sufficiently sensitized to the significance of baptism. Yes, there's the ceremonial aspect of cleansing. That part I understood. I was accepting the washing away of my sins. But the ideas of death and rebirth - whether for lack of teaching or lack of listening I don't recall - these didn't register. I was already reborn, after all. This was to be simply a 'public' recognition of the fact. But look at some of the ideas that surround our baptism:

Look at the significance of the word itself! A washing that brings permanent change. And what has changed? We are now clothed with Christ (Gal 3:27), and do our best to make Christ manifest in our lives (2Co 4:10). We have been released by our joining in His death from the Law, not to now do as we please, but to serve the Law in spirit and truth, rather than lip-service and letter (Ro 7:6). We are a new creation, as our old nature was buried in our baptism (2Co 5:17), renewed in mind to righteousness and truth (Eph 4:23-24). We seek to know His sufferings, to conform to His death! (Php 3:10-11) [How many would say the "Amen" to that? Honestly? How many hope to have only the resurrection without the death it requires?] We lay aside our old, corrupt, deceitful self (Eph 4:22), our past (Col 3:9), our passions and desires (Gal 5:24). We live now by Christ alone (Gal 2:20), and belong to Him (Gal 5:24). We leave ourselves with nothing to boast of save Jesus (Gal 6:14), and we struggle to seek only the things above (Php 3:10-11). I don't know if my words are sufficiently capturing what my spirit has been apprehending these last few days, but it's an attempt.

Christ has set us free from our body of sin! This is incredibly good news! And yet, I feel so frustrated because all too often, I allow myself to wander back into the tutelage of death. Lord God, what You have freed is free indeed. Where You have been victorious, there can be no doubt of the outcome. What You have cleaned must surely be clean beyond the need for another cleansing. I thank You that even at this distance from the event, I begin to feel the true power of baptism - the necessary death, the ensured life. Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I ask You to make manifest in me that death that You have wrought. Break in me the old man, the angers, the lusts, the passions that have too long continued their hold on me. I declare with You today that once for all I am dead to sin. I am no more responsive to sin's attractions than a dead man is. Keep my eyes, oh Lord, from betraying my soul. Keep my mouth, oh God, from spoiling Your manifest presence in me. Oh, Holy Lord, today make real in me that which was sealed between us in baptism. I go to the challenge of the workplace - the biggest and most constant challenge to the life of a godly man. God, You know the pressures I've felt there, You know the discouragement. You know the difficulty I have had in being a man of peace in such a place. Help me to know today that You are beside me. Help me to remember that You have already brought the victory. Help me today to encourage that which is good in those around me. Help me to manifest You in my actions and my speech today. Help me to remember that, whether I am conscious of it or not, I live Coram Deo - before Your face.