Buried in Christ

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

July 20, 2014

Romans 6:1-11

Buried in Christ

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Introduction

Jesus has to kill and bury you to save you and give you life. He did this to you when He baptized you. But this killing in your past has daily meaning for your living.

I.

Baptism kills and buried you. When your pastor applied water and proclaimed Christ's promise, "I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," your old self was crucified, killed, and was buried. Your old self only wants to get its way. Your old self loves to sin even though it knows good from evil. Your old self loves to sin even though it knows that sooner or later, you'll have to pay the consequences for its evil heart-felt choices.

Why do you try to avoid telling little children about new ways to be bad? Because you know that if you give them ideas, they'll probably do them. It's funny, but also living proof of how ingrained evil is in our hearts. Little kids hit other little kids. Okay, that other little kid hit them first. But little kids also hit their moms. They're hitting their mother who feeds them and holds them when they're crying. Why hit them? Because they're evil.

Knowledge does not make sin go away. The older we get, the better we are at hiding our evil heart. But it spills out. "Don't cry over spilt milk." Try not screaming. We lose our temper over spilt milk. We're so angry that this inconvenience is going to waste our time. We're so upset that this accident is going to cost us money.

What happens when we spill bigger things? Our old self is hopping mad. You may be able to hide how angry your are when life goes against you, but it's there. It's there because Jesus hasn't yet killed us a second time.

When you were baptized, when Jesus killed and buried you in your first death, you were given forgiveness, life, and salvation. You have everlasting life. But until we die at the end of this earthly life, the old self inside us will still attack us daily.

II.

We believe, teach, and confess Dr. Luther's excellent summary of what Jesus killing us in Baptism means for our daily living.

Baptism means that the old Adam or old self in us should be drowned by daily contrition and repentance, and that all its evil deeds and desires be put to death. It also means that a new person should daily arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.

Baptism, Fourth Part

How do you keep on burying your old self that keeps coming at you like a member of the undead? You bury your old self by speaking Christ every day.

Christ died for me on the cross.

Christ baptized me years ago.

Christ forgives me today.

Your old self says, "Hey, let's not get carried away. Speaking Christ every day is inconvenient. You already do it on Sunday. God should be happy that you go to church." When your old self speaks, it'll sound good and reasonable. When your old self speaks, it'll try to get you to spend more time and money on yourself and make it seem as though it's for your own good.

So when your old self speaks, thank it for reminding you how deeply sinful you are. Then with Christ's words of promise, repent and turn to the cross of Christ. Spend silent time staring at His cross in your mind or at a crucifix. His holy bloody body hanging from a tree is proof of your evil heart and hands. But it also the proof of His love for you that buries your evil old self and raises up a new you to new life.

[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.

Romans 6:3-4

In the name of the Father

and of the † Son

and of the Holy Spirit.