Saying “Yes!” in Baptism
A few insightful statements about faith and baptism in Paul by Michael Gorman (Reading Paul 
“This is the essence of faith — dying to an old existence characterized by disobedience to God through complete identification with the obedience of Jesus. Paul both defines this complete identification with Jesus’ death (co-crucifixion) as faith and states that it occurs in the public expression of that faith known as baptism (Rom 6:1-11). Moreover — and this is crucially important — the act of co-crucifixion is not a matter of human effort; it is a graced response.”
“Reconciliation with God, then, is by God’s own initiative, or faithfulness, expressed in the faithfulness of Jesus, to which we respond by sharing in that faithful death in the act of saying ‘yes’ to God and expressing that ‘yes’ in baptism.”
“The person who says ‘yes’ to the gospel and is justified by co-crucifixion with Christ in the experience of faith and baptism makes a spiritual and sociological move from being outside Christ and the covenant people of God to being inside Christ and God’s people. Using what is sometimes called ‘transfer language,’ Paul can speak of ‘believing into Christ’ (the literal meaning of a key phrase in Gal 2:16) or being baptized into Christ (Rom 6:3; Gal 3:27). More vividly, he calls this being clothed with Christ (Gal 3:27), an experience that must be renewed day by day (Rom 13:14). Christ envelops the individual and the community that lives in him, beginning a long-term process of shaping both believers and churches into his image (Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 3:18), a process also of having the mind of Christ within (Phil 2:5).”
I love the fact that he keeps the work of grace, reconciliation, transformation, etc… as God’s work in us rather than our own work. Although I have heard baptism claimed as human work by both those for and against it role in salvation, it is a misreading of scripture to make such claim.
Grace and peace,
Rex
Very good quote. And I agree with Rex… any attempt to define baptism as a human work is a misunderstanding of Scripture.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
Of course they’re God’s work in us (Php 2:13), but we have to work towards them (go with the grain of God’s work, I mean — rather than working against the grain, Php 2:12).
I don’t doubt that there are people for whom that is NOT an “of course” statement. I just struggle to understand how they got there — why anyone would lead them there.
Thank you, Mike, for pointing us to these words of Michael Gorman, which, to me, not only enrich my view of baptism, but also enrich my understanding of the loving pursuit of God as he reconciles the world to himself.
Thanks for this good stuff!
I still believe that baptism – as well as what it represents – is God’s gift to man, not vice-versa. Otherwise, Jesus wouldn’t have asked the question the way He did in Matthew 21:25, Mark 11:30 and Luke 20:4.
“Being clothed with Christ as an experience to be renewed every day”, what an important concept. Instead of concentrating on when I “asked Jesus in my heart” or “when I was baptized”, let’s focus on living every day for Him. Take up your cross daily. Persevere to the end. It is not about you, it is all about Him!!
Good and true thoughts.
Thanks for the extended quote. I like the “co-crucifixion” language and the idea of baptism as an expression of faith.
Great post, Mike! Thanks for sharing that quote. The doctrine of baptism has been one Chemaine and I have really considered, studied, and re-considered with much prayer as we made our transition from the Church of Christ to a non-denominational Bible church.
We visited a Christian Church on Saturday night and heard almost word for word the same message for the invitation.
Baptism is a grace from God. It may sound morbid, but I love the image of being united with Christ in his death through baptism. It is a gift that we receive and which I imagine the apostle Paul desires to take forward into his own life by “taking hold of that which Christ took hold of for me” and joining with Christ in his sufferings.
Blessings