Devotion #2: Inward Transformation

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:1-4 

Every time I read these verses in Romans 6, I am reminded of the words we use when we baptize someone, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, buried in the likeness of His death, raised in the newness of light.” Baptism is an outward sign of an inward transformation, a representation of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. 

When we are baptized, our immersion in the water represents our death to our old self. Our death to sin and self involves an intentional surrender of our sinful nature, allowing Christ’s death to free us from the power of sin. This death, a death to our flesh, selfish desires, and pride, should be replaced by a life devoted to pursuing holiness. 

Being dead in sin also means that we are subject to the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), a reference to Satan’s influence over those who are spiritually lost. Satan is seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8), and if we are not vigilant, we will continue to go back to our sin over and over again, giving into our flesh.  

Dying to Christ is not a one-time event but an ongoing process of sanctification. It requires daily surrender and obedience, choosing to live by the Spirit rather than by the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Ultimately, through the process of dying to self, we find a more abundant life in Christ, where we experience the transformative power of God’s grace.