For many of long time Christians, Baptism is an event in our long time past - at best just a wonderful memory, at worst a forgotten promise. I confess I can’t remember when exactly I got baptised and who was it that baptised me! And unlike some people I know, the heavens were not torn asunder during my baptism and I had no earth-shaking moment to speak about - In short, it was very forgettable.

But whether it was a powerful moment or not; whether we remember the event or not - the real significance of baptism doesn’t lie in the past but as a present experience.  The question isn’t can we remember the event of our baptism event, but do we remember that we are a baptised person?

This is the assumption of the entire Scriptures - that they were speaking to a baptized audience. The Law, Prophets and Writings assumed their readers and listeners were a covenanted people of God who were brought out of Egypt to possess the Promised Land. And the apostles of Jesus, wrote to and for an audience who were “cut to the heart” and made a decision to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, in order that they may continue to be that covenant people of God, through Jesus of Nazareth, by the Spirit (Acts 2:37-41, 15:6-18).

This is why, Paul, in the middle of his exposition of the Gospel to the Church in Rome, would appeal to their baptism - not as a once off past tense event, but as a dynamic present experience -

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 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. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:1–11 ESV)

Similarly, in his letter to the Church in Colossae, he exhorts them to love one another and live upright lives, not because so that the world can see how good we are; or out of some desire to change the world… but out of their identity as a Baptised people -

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”  (Colossians 3:1–11 ESV)

And Paul himself looks at his own life in the same way (Phil 3:2-16). For Paul, the good news of God was reconciliation with God, through fellowship with the risen Jesus, by the Spirit. And that fellowship with Jesus, as the powerfully resurrected One, involved sharing daily in His suffering. To be raised with Christ, is to die with Him. Or as Jesus Himself would say - if you want to experience the abundant life that I have, “Pick up your cross… come and follow me”. The Baptised Life, it the Happy Life, with Jesus. The Baptised Life is Eternal Life of knowing the Father and having fellowship with His Son. 

Welcome to Lent 2021. Over the next few weeks, let’s take time to rediscover and renew our identity as the people who are Baptised into Christ.