The Christian life is the baptized life, united with Christ. Truly, the power of Christian baptism is our link with Jesus Christ, our identification with his Story, our sharing with his life, death, burial, and resurrection, and one day soon, his glory. To be a Christian means, for the rest of our lives, a union and oneness with Christ, a participation in his life. Now, his life is our life, and his purpose, our purpose.

An important Old Testament corollary to baptism is the washing that takes place in the ordination of the priests, starting with Aaron and his sons. Moses, the prophet, administered a washing that admitted the priests into the presence of God (see Exodus 40.12-15). Baptism is the washing that ordains us to the priesthood of all believers, and we are now admitted into the very presence of God.

God, our Father, we pray you help to fulfill our calling to the priesthood by living holy lives, serving you, and proclaiming your greatness to the world.

Baptism is more than a backwards-looking event rooted in the ancient past; it publicly changes our identity in the present and commissions us for future mission and ministry as members of Christ’s royal priesthood.

~ Uche Anizor and Hank Voss, Representing Christ. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2016. p. 124.

Let God Arise! Seasonal Focus
Live a Baptized Life, Romans 6.1-5

Book Reading
Breslin, Embracing Our Priestly Nature at Work