The phrase “dead to sin” comes from Romans 6:11: “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Here, the contrast is made that to be “dead to sin” is to be “alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Those who have come to faith in Jesus are no longer to allow sin to control their lives. Instead, we offer ourselves to God to serve His purposes.
Paul expands on this concept in Romans 12:1-2: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” The phrase “living sacrifice” is a paradox—sacrifices do not “live”; they die. But it’s a good summation of the Christian life, as we are dead to sin and alive to God. The emphasis here is on living a different life as a result of God’s salvation. We no longer follow the pattern of the world but live according to God’s will.
To be dead to sin does not mean we are sinless. Paul made clear that he continued to struggle with temptation and sin: “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (Romans 7:19-20). If Paul could call himself the “worst of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:16), then we should certainly expect to continue our conflict with sin until we reach heaven.
To be dead to sin means we no longer need to be controlled by our sin nature. Romans 6:17 teaches that “though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.” Before Christ, we are “slaves” to sin. Now we have a new Master. Sin continues to exist, but we are no longer dominated by it.
As Christians, we have God’s Spirit within us to empower us. However, we still face temptation and must strive to stand against sin. We can live “dead to sin” as we follow Christ, knowing that our Lord will one day remove the curse of sin altogether (Revelation 22:3).
Acts 2:38 records the Apostle Peter’s words on the day of Pentecost, “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” This was a strong affirmation by Peter that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Being baptized in the name of Jesus indicates an understanding by the person being baptized that Christ is the Savior.
Christian baptism is also in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Being baptized in this manner simply means we are identifying ourselves with the Trinity. We belong to the Father, are saved by the Son, and indwelt by the Spirit. This is similar to how we pray in Jesus’ name (John 14:13). If we pray in the name of Jesus, we are praying with His authority and asking God the Father to act upon our prayers because we come in the name of His Son, Jesus. Being baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is being baptized in identification with them and their power over and in our lives. Jesus Himself specifically tells us to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
In the Book of Acts, new believers were baptized in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38; 8:12; 8:16; 10:48; 19:5). It is, however, essentially the same thing—Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit are one (John 10:30; Acts 16:7). Per Jesus’ own instructions, believers should be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but as the book of Acts proves, baptizing in the name of Jesus is also done. The bottom line is that the name/names in which we are baptized is not as important as the recognition that baptism identifies us with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, our Savior. We are buried with Him and risen to walk with Him in newness of life.
This event occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane the night Jesus was betrayed and captured. Mark 14:51-52 describes a young man who, wearing only a linen cloth, followed Jesus. When he was seized by the Roman soldiers, he escaped capture and ran, leaving the garment behind. The identity of the man is unknown, but since the Gospel of Mark is the only gospel that mentions the incident, many Bible scholars speculate that the young man was John Mark himself, the author of the Gospel of Mark.
It is impossible to know for sure who the young man was, since the Bible does not specifically identify him. There are all sorts of explanations and supposed hidden spiritual/allegorical meanings on the young man who fled naked. None of them have any explicit biblical support. The understanding that the identity of the young man who fled naked must have had meaning to the readers of the Gospel of Mark. The identity that makes the most sense, with that in mind, is John Mark.
John the Baptist came preaching repentance and baptizing in the wilderness of Judea, and he was sent as a herald to announce the arrival of Jesus, the Son of God (Matthew 3:1-12). He announced “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11).
After Jesus had risen from the dead, He instructed His apostles to “…wait for the Promise of the Father which you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:4-5). This promise was first fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), and the baptism of the Spirit joins every believer to the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). But what about the baptism with fire?
Some interpret the baptism of fire as referring to the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was sent from heaven. “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them” (Acts 2:2-3). It is important to note that these were tongues as of fire, not literal fire.
Some believe that the baptism with fire refers to the Holy Spirit’s office as the energizer of the believer’s service, and the purifier of evil within, because of the exhortation “Do not quench the Spirit” found in 1 Thessalonians 5:19. The command to the believer is to not put out the Spirit’s fire by suppressing His ministry.
A third and more likely interpretation is that the baptism of fire refers to judgment. In all four Gospel passages mentioned above, Mark and John speak of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but only Matthew and Luke mention the baptism with fire. The immediate context of Matthew and Luke is judgment (Matthew 3:7-12; Luke 3:7-17). The context of Mark and John is not (Mark 1:1-8; John 1:29-34). We know that the Lord Jesus is coming in flaming fire to judge those who do not know God (2 Thessalonians 1:3-10; John 5:21 23; Revelation 20:10-15), but praise be to God that He will save all that will come and put their trust in Him (John 3:16)!
THE WALL: a blog of Baptist Voice Ministries 