Choice 3: Romans 6. Baptism

I will do this blog in a Question & Answer format.

From Romans 6:1-13

Q. (Question) What must be done with sin before baptism can occur?

A. (Answer) We must disconnect ourselves from sin. We shouldn’t let sin rule what we do, say, and think. That way we can be prepared for one of the principle steps in the gospel…baptism.

Q. What events from Christ’s life are symbolized in baptism?

A. When Christ died and was resurrected, his life became a symbol of baptism. In baptism we are lowered into the water and then rise out of it washed and clean. So is the same with death and resurrection. We become pure and perfect after resurrection (as long as we are righteous in this life. I’m excited for that day.

Q. Considering this symbolism, why couldn’t someone be baptized by sprinkling?

A. I believe that baptism by immersion…which is what I mention in the last answer…is the only way to have a true baptism. Immersion is how you are made completely clean. Sprinkling is just not sufficient.

Q. What do these verses teach us about how we can maintain the “newness of life”?

A. After we are baptized, we are confirmed as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. Then comes one of the most important steps in the gospel…that of enduring to the end. It is through enduring to the end that we can maintain the “newness of life”. We must continually forsake sin (no one is exempt from this since we are all not perfect). We need to not follow the lusts of the natural man, and we must always remember that we are “instruments of righteousness” to God.

Q. According to Mosiah 3:19, what part of us would ideally die at baptism?

A. Ideally, the part of us that would die at baptism would be the natural man. As King Benjamin taught, we need to become like unto a child. I look at my 4-month-old son and find pure innocence, patience (sometimes haha), and love. He brings me to remember what I should be striving to become like.

 

Romans 6:14-23

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (v. 23) How do we know whose servant we are. As Paul taught, we know through our choices, our thoughts, and our actions. When one is freed from sin, they are servants of righteousness. When we freely sin, we are free of righteousness. Therefore, let us seek to be servants of righteousness so that we can have eternal life, one of the greatest gifts God can give to us.

The true source of freedom is to be servants of righteousness and not of sin.