1. In order for us to be baptized Paul tells us in Romans Chapter 6 that we need to be "Dead to sin". That's much more black and white than other scriptures that tell us we need to just have a desire to not sin. I think he is pretty much saying the same thing now that I think about it but in much stronger language.
2. The events in Christ's life that are symbolized in Baptism are His death, burial, and resurrection.
3. Sprinkling of water over an infant's head would not work for baptism simply because when you do down into the water it symbolizes burial in water which the metaphor wouldn't quite work with sprinkling.
4. He keeps mentioning becoming dead to sin and alive in Christ. I think ultimately he is trying to say that our desires need to be the same as Christ. Even though we will make mistakes and fall short of the Glory of God still if we have a desire to live as Christ would have us live and not to live as the natural man.
5. Our natural man should die with us at baptism.
6. If we search after righteousness and are truly dead from sin we will be followers of Christ and seen on His right hand at the last day. That's what will really happen in the end is God will examine and know the intentions of our heart and our nature and by this God will know if we are true followers of Him or we "Listeth to obey satan." That's one thing that I've been working on is just trying to set myself right. There are still things I struggle with and I wonder if I really try to overcome them and live as Christ would have me live.
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