“In Christ, A New Creation!”
A Baptismal Message for Nathan Kristofits, Lucas Kristofits, Emigh Modzel, Abbi Houston, and Kay Knaul
January 6, 2008
2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (NIV)
In just a few minutes, we’re going to be baptizing 5 people as a declaration of their faith in Jesus Christ. But first, I’d like for us to chew together on a morsel of holy Scripture that I think communicates in one sentence a lot of what baptism signifies.
Water baptism is a picture. It is an outward symbol of an inner reality. I often liken it to a wedding ring. This gold band on my finger does not make me married to Heather Joy. My covenantal relationship with Heather Joy makes me married to her (Praise the Lord!), and this ring symbolizes our marriage to the watching world.
Water baptism is a symbol, as well. But what does it symbolize? A number of things, too many to include in a short baptismal devotion, but I’d like to draw your attention to at least two in 2 Corinthians 5:17.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
Now, you can tell from the word “therefore” that this verse is part of a larger context, a larger argument. Paul is actually talking about ministry in this section. And this verse fits into that larger argument as an explanation of how Paul goes about his ministry.
But we don’t have time this morning to develop the larger argument. We’ll save that for another day. Here we’re just going to look at this one sentence and see what it tells us about being a Christian (and therefore what Christian baptism signifies).
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
First, water baptism signifies being “IN CHRIST.” In Christ.
“In Christ” is the Apostle Paul’s favorite phrase to describe what it means to be a Christian. At least 80 times in Paul’s letters, Paul uses the phrase, “in Christ.”
“In Christ” is the Apostle Paul’s shorthand description of being identified with Christ. Our position in Christ, the benefits and blessings of being in Christ, the inclusion we have in Christ’s righteousness, Christ’s standing with the Father, Christ’s holiness, and so forth.
“In Christ” is Paul’s way of signifying our UNION WITH CHRIST in His death and resurrection. Our vital, living union with Christ.
In a sister passage to this one, Romans 6, Paul says, “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized 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.”
Baptism signifies being “In Christ.”
...Are you in Christ? Have you been joined to Jesus Christ by faith? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins and the gaining of eternal life?
Are you in vital union with Jesus Christ? Are you “in Christ?” There is no more important question to have answered!
These Nathan, Lucas, Emigh, Abbi, and Kay have come to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ and are now “in Christ.” And proclaiming it in their baptisms.
How about you? Are you “in Christ?”
If you are in Christ, have you symbolized that by baptism? That’s what water baptism pictures. Going down in the water symbolizes your union with Christ in His death and burial. Coming up out of the water symbolizes your union with Christ in His resurrection.
Baptism is a God-given picture that signifies being “In Christ.”
And 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
Second, water baptism symbolizes a “NEW CREATION.”
In a Real Christian, God has done a new work of creation! Just as He created everything we see and feel and touch and smell in this creation, He has also done a work of New Creation–He has brought about a decisive change inside of the new Christian.
We often call that new work of creation: Regeneration. Being “born again.” Being given new spiritual life, a new heart, a new life.
Water baptism symbolizes a “New Creation.”
“The old has gone, the new has come!”
Now, that almost sounds like a new Christian is not at all like they used to be. They are perfect, they never sin, they have arrived, the old has gone[!], the new has come[!]. If that’s true, then none of these 5 to be baptized are ready yet, because they are not perfect yet. And neither is their pastor!
But I don’t think that’s what he’s saying. Paul knows that we are “simul justus et peccator.” Simultaneously righteous and sinful. He knows that we haven’t become perfect yet. That’s not what he’s saying.
What Paul is saying is that something new has happened that is decisive for this person. Being “in Christ” means that God has started something dramatic and unstoppable in this person’s heart and made them a New Creation. And the Old Slave-Driver of Sin and the Old Required Allegiance to the Prince of this World are out in their penalty and position and power in our lives. And the new master of righteousness and allegiance to the true Lord of the universe have begun.
That’s what Christian baptism signifies.
I like how the New Living Translation puts it. It paraphrases v.17 like this, “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!”
Christian baptism symbolizes being In Christ and a New Creation. And this is God’s work. V.18 begins, “All this is from God.”
God is the One who includes us IN CHRIST through faith.
God is the One who creates a NEW CREATION in us that says good-bye to the old and in with the new.
And our response to God’s work is to live it out.
We are to believe that we are “In Christ” with all of the blessings and benefits and privileges that go along with that.
And we are to live as New Creations. We are to live new lives.
In the first few centuries of the Christian Church, baptismal candidates did this very dramatically.
Nathan, Lucas, Emigh, Abbi, and Kay are spitting in Satan’s face and symbolizing through their baptisms that they are in Christ, New Creations.
A Baptismal Message for Nathan Kristofits, Lucas Kristofits, Emigh Modzel, Abbi Houston, and Kay Knaul
January 6, 2008
2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (NIV)
In just a few minutes, we’re going to be baptizing 5 people as a declaration of their faith in Jesus Christ. But first, I’d like for us to chew together on a morsel of holy Scripture that I think communicates in one sentence a lot of what baptism signifies.
Water baptism is a picture. It is an outward symbol of an inner reality. I often liken it to a wedding ring. This gold band on my finger does not make me married to Heather Joy. My covenantal relationship with Heather Joy makes me married to her (Praise the Lord!), and this ring symbolizes our marriage to the watching world.
Water baptism is a symbol, as well. But what does it symbolize? A number of things, too many to include in a short baptismal devotion, but I’d like to draw your attention to at least two in 2 Corinthians 5:17.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
Now, you can tell from the word “therefore” that this verse is part of a larger context, a larger argument. Paul is actually talking about ministry in this section. And this verse fits into that larger argument as an explanation of how Paul goes about his ministry.
But we don’t have time this morning to develop the larger argument. We’ll save that for another day. Here we’re just going to look at this one sentence and see what it tells us about being a Christian (and therefore what Christian baptism signifies).
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
First, water baptism signifies being “IN CHRIST.” In Christ.
“In Christ” is the Apostle Paul’s favorite phrase to describe what it means to be a Christian. At least 80 times in Paul’s letters, Paul uses the phrase, “in Christ.”
“In Christ” is the Apostle Paul’s shorthand description of being identified with Christ. Our position in Christ, the benefits and blessings of being in Christ, the inclusion we have in Christ’s righteousness, Christ’s standing with the Father, Christ’s holiness, and so forth.
“In Christ” is Paul’s way of signifying our UNION WITH CHRIST in His death and resurrection. Our vital, living union with Christ.
In a sister passage to this one, Romans 6, Paul says, “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized 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.”
Baptism signifies being “In Christ.”
...Are you in Christ? Have you been joined to Jesus Christ by faith? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins and the gaining of eternal life?
Are you in vital union with Jesus Christ? Are you “in Christ?” There is no more important question to have answered!
These Nathan, Lucas, Emigh, Abbi, and Kay have come to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ and are now “in Christ.” And proclaiming it in their baptisms.
How about you? Are you “in Christ?”
If you are in Christ, have you symbolized that by baptism? That’s what water baptism pictures. Going down in the water symbolizes your union with Christ in His death and burial. Coming up out of the water symbolizes your union with Christ in His resurrection.
Baptism is a God-given picture that signifies being “In Christ.”
And 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
Second, water baptism symbolizes a “NEW CREATION.”
In a Real Christian, God has done a new work of creation! Just as He created everything we see and feel and touch and smell in this creation, He has also done a work of New Creation–He has brought about a decisive change inside of the new Christian.
We often call that new work of creation: Regeneration. Being “born again.” Being given new spiritual life, a new heart, a new life.
Water baptism symbolizes a “New Creation.”
“The old has gone, the new has come!”
Now, that almost sounds like a new Christian is not at all like they used to be. They are perfect, they never sin, they have arrived, the old has gone[!], the new has come[!]. If that’s true, then none of these 5 to be baptized are ready yet, because they are not perfect yet. And neither is their pastor!
But I don’t think that’s what he’s saying. Paul knows that we are “simul justus et peccator.” Simultaneously righteous and sinful. He knows that we haven’t become perfect yet. That’s not what he’s saying.
What Paul is saying is that something new has happened that is decisive for this person. Being “in Christ” means that God has started something dramatic and unstoppable in this person’s heart and made them a New Creation. And the Old Slave-Driver of Sin and the Old Required Allegiance to the Prince of this World are out in their penalty and position and power in our lives. And the new master of righteousness and allegiance to the true Lord of the universe have begun.
That’s what Christian baptism signifies.
I like how the New Living Translation puts it. It paraphrases v.17 like this, “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!”
Christian baptism symbolizes being In Christ and a New Creation. And this is God’s work. V.18 begins, “All this is from God.”
God is the One who includes us IN CHRIST through faith.
God is the One who creates a NEW CREATION in us that says good-bye to the old and in with the new.
And our response to God’s work is to live it out.
We are to believe that we are “In Christ” with all of the blessings and benefits and privileges that go along with that.
And we are to live as New Creations. We are to live new lives.
In the first few centuries of the Christian Church, baptismal candidates did this very dramatically.
When...the time for baptism...arrived, the candidate would be called upon to renounce the Devil and all his pomp. Facing westward, the direction in which the sun went down, he would exclaim, ‘I renounce thee, O Satan, and all they works!’ Then he would deliberately spit three times in the direction of darkness, signifying a complete break with the power of evil and all their former claim on his life. Next, turning towards the sunrise, he would say, ‘And I embrace Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ!’ This would be followed by immersion... (The Mark of Jesus, pg. 33-34).The old has gone, the new has come!
Nathan, Lucas, Emigh, Abbi, and Kay are spitting in Satan’s face and symbolizing through their baptisms that they are in Christ, New Creations.
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