Answer
In Romans 5:12–21, the apostle Paul discusses the widespread problem of sin, which “entered the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (verse 12). In Romans 6:3–7, Paul introduces the solution to this universal human problem of sin: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3–4, ESV).
Water baptism serves as a visual representation of the profound spiritual reality in which born-again believers are identified with the second Adam, who is Jesus Christ (see Romans 5:14–21; 1 Corinthians 15:47). Through spiritual baptism, believers become partakers in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the source of their new life in Christ: “For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead” (Colossians 2:12, NLT). Adam’s “one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people,” whereas Christ’s “one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people” (Romans 5:18).
Paul’s message in Romans 6 is that believers in Jesus Christ are no longer condemned to a life of sin and death. At the moment of salvation, we are baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ’s death and subsequent resurrection (John 3:5; Ephesians 2:18; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 8:12; 10:44–48). Our death sentence, which we inherited through Adam, is reversed through our union with Jesus Christ and our participation in His death, burial, and resurrection. We are not literally crucified as Christ was, but when we believe in Him and what He did—that He died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose to life—we are spiritually baptized into His death.
The word baptized means “submerged or immersed in.” As believers, we are all “in Jesus Christ . . . through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:26–27). We have become spiritual participants who are wholly immersed in Christ’s death so that “we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4, ESV) in Him. Since we are “united with him in his death,” we are also “raised to life as he was” (Romans 6:5, NLT). Our old sinful nature is “crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin” (Romans 6:6–7, NLT).
Before salvation, we “were dead because of [our] disobedience and [our] many sins. [We] used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world . . . following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. . . . But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead” (Ephesians 2:1–4, NLT).
Being baptized into His death signifies our death to sin (Galatians 2:20). Christ’s atoning sacrifice breaks the power of sin over us (Romans 6:9–14), liberating us to live for God’s glory (Romans 6:10, 13) and to “become slaves to righteous living” (Romans 6:18, NLT). Our previous identification with Adam in sin, shame, judgment, and death is now replaced by an alliance with Christ in righteousness, justification, freedom, and life.
Warren Wiersbe expounds on the believer’s identification with Christ through baptism into His death: “I am in Christ and identified with Him. Therefore, whatever happened to Christ has happened to me. When He died, I died. When He arose, I arose in Him. I am now seated with Him in the heavenlies! . . . Because of this living union with Christ, the believer has a totally new relationship to sin” (The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1, Victor Books, 1996, p. 531).
