Do you know? Do you truly know the impact of the cross?

There are times when we are more aware of our sin than our Saviour.
For vast periods of our lives we have been more aware of what is wrong with our lives than what is right.
Do you know? Do you truly know the impact of the cross?

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” (Romans 6 v 1-7)

In the previous section of this letter (chapter 5) Paul has told us how God has secured our salvation from His judgment in the future. But this is not suggesting all we do now is wait for that day to come. Paul rather moves into the impact of our relationship to God in the present.

Is it true we can live free? YES!

In using the illustration of baptism Paul is showing us the identification change that took place when we first started to follow Jesus.

“…don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

We were dipped into the same scene of the cross. There was blood, a slaughter, our crucifixion, “For we know that our old self was crucified with him…”

Crucial to our understanding is this: sin and death was not overpowering Jesus on the cross, Jesus was overpowering sin and death.

The blood of Jesus overpowered all fear.

The blood of Jesus justified us.

The blood of Jesus redeems from the hand of Satan.

The blood of Jesus totally forgives.

The blood of Jesus gives access to God.

That’s the scene: the overcoming of all fear, justification, redemption, forgiveness, access, freedom.

That’s the scene we were dipped into.

We then went where Jesus went. “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death…” We were dead.

Therefore, His resurrection then becomes our resurrection. His new life becomes ours. His power becomes our power.

Do we really know this?!