Your New Life In Christ
After a person is born again, they should undergo water baptism. Jesus commanded “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28: 19 NAS)
When we are baptized (baptizo in the Greek means full immersion), it shows others that we have left our old life behind and have been resurrected to new life in Christ.
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galations 2:20 NKJV) The following passage from the Message Bible beautifully describes what we are trying to achieve.
Colossians 3 – MSG “So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Your old life is dead….. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God….And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy…
…It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk. Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. ..
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other… And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. … And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.”
DLH – 2013