:: in.a.mirror.dimly ::

I took a few days away from blogging to market a few things, to film a goofy video of my rabbit eating lettuce, and then to help a friend move in to her place at Long Island. It was a welcome break from writing in general that has me ready to jump back into blogging. However, before we dig into today’s passage, I have a story of my own stupidity to tell.

The night before leaving for Long Island, I had a tough time sleeping. Our new futon, which we sleep on, is way more firm than anything I’ve slept on for years. And so I rose at 5 AM to catch the ferry feeling a bit like a zombie. That feeling persisted all day.

I had a 6:30 PM ferry to catch in order to head back to Connecticut, meaning I needed to be at the dock by 6 PM, and leaving my friend’s place by 5:30 PM. For some stupid reason I became convinced that I needed to be there by 5 PM.

So she dropped me off at 5 PM, I waved goodbye, and I walked to the ticket office. I noticed a rather large, white, ferry sort of boat leaving the harbor. I checked to the schedule. That was the 4:45 PM boat. I had a long time to wait. I made the most of it however, sitting down to a plate of steamed clams with a view of the tiny harbor. Things went swimmingly until my 6:30 PM ferry began pitching in the Sound’s rolling waves.

Ick. Not ick for too long, but just a general ick for an hour.

And now for some meditations on Romans 6…

Paul has established the problem of sin among the Romans and has explained the role of Christ’s death and resurrection in giving us new life through the grace and kindness of God. In chapter six he becomes a broken record of sorts, expounding on the importance of leaving sin behind because the Romans have died to it, and then making the decision to live as servants of God. It’s a simple message really, but it’s one that every Christian must wrestle with day by day.

Though Paul is working toward his climax in which he states that death is conquered by God’s free gift in Christ, Paul begins this section by explaining the union of believers with the death and resurrection of Christ that frees them from sin. Those who have died to sin and risen with Christ have no obligation to live under the sway of sin.

A Debate Over Baptism

This passage is one of the more mystical ones of scripture because Paul speaks of believers as having been united with Christ’s death and resurrection by becoming Christians and being baptized. The implication is that God’s resurrecting power is at work with us in the same way it’s at work in Christ. This has led to a great deal of debate about the role of baptism in salvation. Does baptism illustrate what God is accomplishing or is it a necessary part of the equation.

I won’t be able to settle this one here, but there are some articles that help flesh out the issues: Is baptism necessary for salvation? and Baptismal Regeneration in Wikipedia. I think some reading on atonement theories will help readers of Romans 6 sort through some of the things to look at out for as well. So far as I can tell, we know people can be saved apart from baptism, i.e. the thief on the cross whom Jesus promised to see in paradise, but we also should be wary of minimizing this important, ancient sacrament. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s more to it than an illustration, but it’s hard to know how far to take that.

The Choice of Holiness

The major theme that arises throughout the rest of the chapter is the prospect of making a choice to live in the reality of Christ’s death and resurrection. Christians need not ask for Christ to free them from sin, but rather to live in the power of that reality. In other words, we can still choose to obey sin, but God has given us the victory through Christ that we can claim. In this sense, we are very much dependent on the Holy Spirit to apply God’s saving work to our lives.

This passage also brings up the idea of offering ourselves to God. This comes up later in Romans 12, but as Paul speaks of offering ourselves as slaves or servants to sin or to God, we have a great illustration of what it looks like to live holy day to day. I like to begin by asking, “Am I offering myself to God?” If I am, then I need to keep it up, choosing to live in the reality of his life and power. If not, then I know I need to look for his redemption and renewal.