Baptism

Romans 6. Baptism

What must be done with sin before baptism can occur?

We must repent of our sins, and forsake them.

What events from Christ’s life are symbolized in baptism?

Romans 6:4

4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

His death and his resurrection is symbolic of baptism, to leave a previous life and to start a new again.

Considering this symbolism, why couldn’t someone be baptized by sprinkling?

It’s symbolic of a literally a new life, washing away of the previous person that we were, and now we are a disciple of Christ.  We are “clean” again from sin and our old lives.  Sprinkling would not wash the entire body.  Also Christ was baptized by immersion.

What do these verses teach us about how we can maintain the “newness of life”?

To leave behind our old habits and live a repentive life and turn to Heavenly Father for guidance, not the world.  We try every day to become like Him by keeping our covenants, praying, taking callings, FHE, and temple attendance.  We also “refresh” our baptismal covenants each Sunday as we take of the Sacrament.

According to Mosiah 3:19, what part of us would ideally die at baptism?

We should let the “natural man” die at baptism.

Study Romans 6:14–23. Write a paragraph that describes how we know whose servant we are. Then write a statement identifying the true source of freedom.

We must decide who we serve.  We show who we serve by our actions and striving to be perfected through Christ. If we lapse and sin or get caught up in “worldliness” we need to recognize and stop (following the adversary) and repent and be freed. We are truly free from the chains of sin when we repent. We are free from pain and free to be happy.