Trinity VI

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts, be alway acceptable unto Thee, O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer. Amen.

From the Epistle: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:3)

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

One of the great divisions in Christendom is the different understandings of Baptism.

For some Christians, Baptism is simply a public profession of faith, which allows the Baptized person to be a member of the local church; while useful in the process of sanctification, it is not strictly necessary to salvation.

For others, Baptism is a Sacrament which accomplishes in us things necessary to Salvation.

Those who take the former position naturally reject the notion of infant baptism because infants cannot make a profession of faith.

Those who hold a Sacramental understanding of Baptism permit infant baptism to allow infants who die before they reach the age of reason to become heirs of salvation.

The Anglican understanding of Baptism is set forth in Article XXIV of the Articles of Religion.

“BAPTISM is not only a sign of profession, and mark of difference, whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not christened, but it is also a sign of Regeneration or New-Birth, whereby, as by an instrument, they that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church; the promises of the forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed; Faith is confirmed, and Grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God.

The Baptism of young Children is in any wise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christ.”

The question then becomes which understanding of Baptism is correct?

Given what Saint Paul has to say in today’s Epistle, I am persuaded the Sacramental understanding of Baptism is the one which is correct.

It begins: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:3)

The key phrase in this verse is “baptized into Christ.”

“In Christ” is major theme of Paul’s theology.

Many blessings come to those who are “in Christ.”

Paul tells us, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

This is the blessing of regeneration; those who are “in Christ” have been “born again.”

Again, he tells us, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)

Those who are “in Christ” are free from condemnation.

Remaining “in Christ” is so important we pray for it twice in each Eucharist.

In the Consecration and in the Prayer of Humble Access we pray we may “dwell in him.”

The idea of being “in Christ” is wonderful, but sometimes a little hard to visualize.

I remember once seeing a marvelous picture.

When seen up close, it appeared to be simply a montage of many pictures of faces, but when viewed from a distance, the images merged into the face of Christ.

The very closely related idea of being members of the Body of Christ helps us to understand how this might be.

“Members” does not mean simply being a part of an organization like the Kiwanis Club or the VFW.

It points to the reality we are “members,” in the sense an arm or a leg is a member of the body.

If a leg is lost in an accident, we say the body has been “dismembered.”

Of course, the loss of a member in this sense is a terrible thing for the body.

The body will be weakened, although it will survive, but it is disastrous for the lost member.

The member draws its life from the body and separated from the body it quickly dies.

John uses the imagery of the vine and the branches to make the same point.

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15: 5-6)

The two ideas, “in Christ” and “the Body of Christ” are closely related.

If we are a we are in him, we are part of him; if we are part of his body, we are in him.

Saint Paul makes it crystal clear how we become members of his body, how we come to be “in Him.”

“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:27)

In Baptism, we are made members of his body, we are made to be “in Christ.”

Or again, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” (I Cor. 12:13.)

We are baptized into his body and have thereby received the Holy Spirit.

The impact of baptism on our eternal destinies is set forth in our Epistle for today.

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” (Roman 6:3)

Not only do we become “in Christ,” we are thereby made participants in his crucifixion.

“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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” (Romans 6:4-5)

Not only are we in Christ on the Cross, we are in Christ on Easter morning.

We have died in Christ and have been raised to life again in Christ.

Symbolically, this is represented by the person being Baptized going under the water and coming up out of the water.

Of course, not all Christians practice Baptism by total immersion for practical reasons, the pouring of water over part of the body is understood to include the whole body by reference.

This participation in the death and resurrection of Christ washes our sin nature away.

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.” (Romans 5:6-7)

What Paul calls our “old man,” the part of ourselves which was a slave to Sin is destroyed and so we become able to serve God rather than serving Sin.

The Epistle concludes: “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 3:8-11)

Through Baptism, we are buried in Christ and raised to eternal life in him.

This helps us to understand the Great Commission.

Jesus said to his Apostles as he was preparing to return to the Father: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” (Matthew 28:19)

The church has two equally important missions, to teach and to Baptize.

In gratitude for the benefits we have received in our Baptisms, we should do all in our power to carry out our part in this great mission.

First, we should proclaim the Gospel, so that every person knows what is being offered to them.

But second, it is equally important that we bring them to the Church to receive Baptism.

Given the benefits of Baptism, we should do all we can to encourage our Christian friends to avail themselves of Baptism.

It goes without saying perhaps if we have not as yet received the blessings of Baptism ourselves, we should make arrangements to receive those blessings at our first opportunity.

What a tragedy it would be if any believer in Christ was found not to be in Christ at the last day.

Amen.

And now we ascribe, as is most justly due, unto Thee, O Lord, all might, majesty, power, and dominion, both now and forever. Amen.