Buried and Risen

Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:12-15 KJV)

We don’t get buried sitting or standing and we cannot possibly understand the faith of the operation of God as we’re being held as babes in our mother’s arms. For us, the baptism in water symbolizes the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. For us, we rise to walk a different way than before we followed Christ into baptism:

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4 KJV)

Get that “should” part? We don’t always get that ourselves and find ourselves on that broad way that brings harm to others. We should always consider how others see us after we’ve made the open, public commitment to include Christ in every step of our life.

Oh, that wasn’t part of the understanding? That from the time we were to be aware of what is and isn’t sinful, and that we were supposed to turn our backs on our sinful selves?

One of my junior high girls, several years ago, asked the question in class, “What if we keep sinning? Are we still saved?” My answer to her may have seemed harsh, but it is true:

“If a person goes forward saying they trust in the Lord as their savior, follows Him in baptism but doesn’t make any change in their life, continuing to hurt themselves and others with their words and actions – that person needs to review why they thought they were saved.”

Once we admit we are sinful, continuing in that same sinful nature simply means we have not turned our lives over to God.  We have not read His word. We have not spent time in prayer seeking His will. We feel safe and complacent and return to doing what gives pleasure to ourselves or power over others. I do not know the result of her review

We can know if we do have eternal life. John said it plainly:

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:11-13 KJV)