Read: Romans 6:1-14 Listen: Romans 6

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:4

Paul spends the first five chapters in Romans laying out incredible truth: God justifies sinners freely through faith in Christ. Then a question erupts—one Paul clearly anticipates. If grace covers every sin, why not keep sinning? Why not take advantage of a God who forgives? Paul’s answer is swift and clear, using the imagery of baptism. Dead people don’t keep doing what they used to do. When believers place their faith in Christ, the old self has died. They have been buried with him and raised to a new life. It’s a reality already accomplished.

Most of us feel the tension Paul describes. We have a new heart through Jesus, but old habits don’t always disappear overnight. We still struggle. Baptism speaks into that tension. It’s more than a one-time event we look back on; it is a marker we return to. When sin pulls hard, we can remember that our old life went under the water. We have surrendered to Jesus. The answer isn’t just trying harder to live our new life. It’s surrendering daily to the One who already broke sin’s power. The Holy Spirit living in us empowers the new life Christ has already given us.

TODAY: Identify one area where sin still feels like it has a grip on your life. Bring it honestly to God in prayer, and ask the Holy Spirit for help to surrender and live your new life. For a deeper look at baptism and what it means, listen to this week’s Beyond the Weekend podcast. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts or on YouTube HERE.