“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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 6:3-4).
This tells us that the death and resurrection of Christ need to spiritually happen to us in this life. Our spiritual death happens at Baptism. Of itself, the water does not cause our spiritual death. Peter tells us that “baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1Peter 3:21).
A good conscience is a mental state which is unhindered by the weight of the law of sin. This law of sin causes us to excessively worry, be angry, be unforgiving, and addictive (Romans 7:14 thru 8:2). It is the human weakness that we all are born with, which blocks us from having a clear perception of our surroundings, and prevents us from making decisions based on the guidance of God. How do we release our hindrances in order to arrive at our resurrection?
Humility toward God is required for this. 1Peter 5:5-7 describes this type of humility: “Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you”. We unconditionally trust in God and rest our minds upon Him from our issues and from all of our own understanding (see also Philippians 4:6-7, Psalms 37:7, 55:22, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 26:3-4, 55:7-9, and Galatians 5:22-23). God draws near to us when we draw near to Him (see James 4:1-10).
We can apply this humility to Christ, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:9-10). When we have His Spirit within us, He becomes the conduit for the Father’s graces to flow into us, which include the fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
This fruit is what gives us victory over the law of sin and enables us to be new creatures in Christ with newness of life. The Mosaic Law did not provide the grace to overcome the law of sin. This grace became available with Christ. This why Paul says in Galatians 5:4: “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” Paul says that the Law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. We can have victory only when we are in Christ.
The peace of God needs to rule in our hearts (Colossians 3:15). It needs to umpire our decisions. Christ came to give us peace and strength over the law of sin. Without His resurrection this would not be possible. His Spirit, which was poured out after He ascended, contains the fruits of our Christian righteousness. Without Christ’s Spirit within us, they cannot flow into us.
“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:5-6).
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