Family Churchman Romans 6:3-4 Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?… When the gospel was first preached, its novelty must have impressed both Jew and Gentile. Not only was the Christian doctrine something fresh in the history of human thought; the Christian morality was something new in the sphere of the individual and social existence of mankind. The novelty may not strike us as it struck the men of the first century, but still Christianity summons all men to "newness of life." The new life — I. COMMENCES WITH A NEW BIRTH. Every human life has a beginning, so with the spiritual life; there is what is called regeneration, in which the birth of the body is followed by that of the soul. II. IS QUICKENED BY A NEW POWER. Mysterious even to the present men of science is the secret of vitality. We can only account for the new and spiritual life of Christianity by accepting the doctrine that the Holy Spirit takes possession of the nature, vivifying it with a celestial vitality and energy. III. IS INSPIRED BY A NEW PRINCIPLE. What is it which distinguishes the life of the Christian from that of the worldly, unspiritual man? It is the prevalence and power of Divine love in his nature. IV. IS PERFECTED IN AN EVER NEW IMMORTALITY. The life of the body perishes; but the life of the Christian is renewed day by day; age and infirmity have no power over it; even death fails to destroy it; in fact, its fairest blossom and its richest fruit appear only beneath celestial influences, and when the Omnipotent "makes all things new." (Family Churchman.) Parallel Verses KJV: Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?WEB: Or don't you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? |
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