Baptism: A Symbol of Dying and Resurrection

     When I was looking through some Bible scriptures I came along this one in Col 2:12 it said, "having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead." This brought to me a crystal clear image of what baptism is all about. The water that we go under represents the grave or the tomb of Christ. When we go under the water it symbolizes our body dying. When we are raised out of the water it symbolizes our resurrection.

     Romans 5:4 said the same thing it said, "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." What are we putting to death at baptism? Col 3:5-8 said, "⁵Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ On account of these the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ In these you to once walked, when you were living in them. ⁸ But now you must put them away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth."

     What is walking in the newness of life? Col 3:12-15, "¹²Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful."

     We see baptism is a public declaration that we have accepted Jesus Christ and we are following in his footsteps. We die to our fleshly ways of living and then we are raised up to a spiritual way of life. We do this by dying symbolically then rising from the dead in a symbolic manner through baptism.                                                                   (ESV)