Paul said that he would not be ashamed of the gospel because it was the Power of God for the salvation of everyone (Romans 1:16). “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the Power of God unto Salvation to everyone who believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek”. One of the signs of the last days was men having a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof (II Timothy 3:5). Jesus Christ pointed out to the Sadducees that they do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God (Matthew 22:29).

We would have obeyed from our heart the form of doctrine to which we were entrusted when we are baptized (Romans 6:17). But it is important that we must get acquainted with the Word of Righteousness (Hebrews 5:13) and the power of this doctrine.

Sinners and those who are not baptized possess a body of sin (Romans 6:6). Apostle Paul refers such a body as “body of death” (Romans 7:24). In such members of the body the motions of sins or the passions of the sin nature works like a law. “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the Law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death” (Romans 7:5). It wages war against the law of God and makes one a prisoner of the Law of sin and death (Romans 7:22, 23). Such a man commits his body and its members to evil deeds serving sin and yields fruits of death. Through those evil deeds, he becomes an enemy of God in his mind (Colossians 1:21). When such a sinner repents sincerely, admitting his sins to God his sins are forgiven and washed. The old self of the one who was fulfilling all his sinful desires is now crucified on the cross with Christ.

When we are buried through the baptism into Jesus Christ and his death, we will be dead to sin (sinful nature) and get delivered from the bondage of the sinful nature (Romans 6: 2, 3, 7). As long as we consider ourselves dead to sin, this sinful nature will remain powerless and will remain condemned in our flesh (Romans 6:11, 8:3). In this manner, on one side when we remain dead in Christ, on the other side we will live for His righteousness so that we will attain a new body to partake in the will of Christ who fulfilled the will of God perfectly. “…A body you prepared for me… I have come to do your will, O God’ (Hebrews 10:5, 7).

We who have such a body should not again commit the members of the body to unrighteousness and try not to conform to the world but should dedicate the members of the body to God every day. Then God will renew our mind so that we can understand His perfect will through His words. As those who are alive from the dead we have to yield the members of the body as instruments of righteousness submitting continuously unto God (Romans 6:13). When we practice this in our life, Just as we were baptized (immersion) in Christ’s death so that all that which belonged to old self and body of sin vanishes, we will be anointed by the Holy spirit (immersion) to become a new creation in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17). Then sin, disease and death cannot rule our body. God will renew our members of the body with the power of resurrection so that we can continuously fight against sin, disease, death and devil. That’s why Apostle Paul said “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one who beats the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection…” (I Corinthians 9:26, 27).

“And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully” (II Timothy 2:5). The baptism of a believer is not a ritual of change of religion. It is not an act of making one a Christian. Scripture discipline is baptizing the one who has repented and accepted Lord Jesus as his own saviour after getting the assurance that his sins have been forgiven. Baptism is not an act without significance and meaning. It is a meaningful act of faith fulfilling God’s truth. Through Baptism one unites himself with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:4). Lord Jesus Christ, one of the Trinity, was baptized when He became a man and set before us a model. Hence let us continue to get trained in Godliness by following His steps so that we can be changed into His image from glory to glory and from victory to victory progressing towards perfection.