Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Romans 6:1-11
Pastor: Pastor Berg
Sermon Date:  February 21, 2024

When I look at my sermon theme, I don’t know that I could ever imagine myself saying those words to someone else. But they’ve been said on more than one occasion. Just a quick Google search found a Netflix TV series with that title and a BBC podcast with the same. The phrase indicates severe disappointment or betrayal by someone. It could even go so far as meaning that this person no longer exists in your mind or in your life. 

And while I can’t imagine saying this to another person, this is exactly what St. Paul encourages us to say to our sinful nature. Today, as we look at Romans 6 and as we contemplate what it means to be Baptized Into Jesus’ Death, Paul encourages us to explore our relationship with sin and to contemplate our identity. Listen to how he starts: “What shall we say then? Shall we keep on sinning so that grace may increase? Absolutely not! We died to sin. How can we go on living in it any longer?

The question Paul asks is a logical one, at least from a human perspective. If God’s gift of undeserved love resulted while we were sinning, doesn’t it make sense that we would keep on sinning so that we get more of that love? And while there may be some logic in that way of thinking, it’s just not true. Grace didn’t result because of our sin. God gave his grace just because he wanted to. And in that gracious gift God did more than just show us his love, he changed our identity. We died to sin! I’m going to read a few verses again. As I do, listen for all of the verbs that show action that’s already done. 

“We died to sin. How can we go on living in it any longer? Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him by this baptism into his death, so that just as he was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too would also walk in a new life…We know that our old self was crucified with him…And since we died with Christ, we believe we will also live with him.”

Did you catch them all? Died, baptized, buried, crucified, died. All of these past actions show that our relationship with sin is done. We can say to our sinful nature, You’re dead to me! You are not my present reality. You are not my identity anymore. No, now my reality, my identity, your reality, your identity is connected to Jesus. Through your baptism, you are connected to Jesus. You were baptized into his death. You were buried with him by your baptism, into his death. This means that your old relationship with sin, death, Satan, and hell was buried forever. Your baptism didn’t just give you God’s forgiveness. No, through the gift of faith, it’s when the Holy Spirit began to dwell in you and gave you your new identity. Baptism connects you to Jesus in his death, in his resurrection, and it gives you a new life.

But here’s the struggle. If this is the case, then why do I still struggle with sin? If this is really true, then why do temptations still come? 

Well, here’s the thing. The Old Adam is a good swimmer. And on this side of heaven, even after we drown him he’s going to keep coming back every single day. And because of this, there are times when we forget who we are. There are times where we forget whom God has made us to be. There are times when we forget our new identity and we allow our old identity to overtake us. Maybe even so much that we don’t just slip into sin, but even persist in sin.

What a blessing then God has given us, that we can go back and relive our baptism every single day! I’m sure that you’ve heard from me or from your pastor before to remember your baptism. Remember your baptism. This is a battle cry! This is a Gospel encouragement to remember who you are. “Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him by this baptism into his death, so that just as he was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too would also walk in a new life.” Look at what our baptism has made us to be. Paul says in verse 11: “In the same way also consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Because of our baptism, every single day, we can say to ourselves, to our sinful nature, You’re Dead to Me. And every single day, we can say to ourselves, to our new man, “You are alive to God.” 

You see, in Baptism, we were not just saved from things, but we were saved for things. Look again at verse 4: “We were therefore buried with him by this baptism into his death, so that just as he was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too would also walk in a new life.” Baptism not only saves us from that which is bad, it enables us to do the things for which we were created. It enables us to live the “new life.” 

Think of it this way: If God can raise the dead, which Easter proves he can do, which Paul reminds us that he did, why would we think that he couldn’t help us to change our lives? Why would we ever think a temptation was too great to resist? On our own, yes. In our former reality, absolutely. But our sinful nature is dead to us. That is not who we are anymore. And what is more difficult, to raise the dead or to help someone control their gossiping tongue or avoid the abuse of alcohol or to be responsible on the internet? Because Jesus was raised through the glory of the Father, then clearly we too can live that new life by the power of God unleashed within us in our baptisms.

“Consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Every week, the Church seeks to help you relive your Baptism. Nearly every service begins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, the name that was placed on you at your baptism. Every week, our sins are confessed and we receive God’s forgiveness in that same name. Our baptismal fonts are front and center, even when there isn’t an actual baptism taking place, to remind us to relive our baptism every day.

If you leave here with nothing else today, I pray you leave here with this: That you can say to yourself, to your sinful nature, “You’re Dead to Me!” My new reality, my new identity is alive to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.