How is Baptism an Identification with the Death of Jesus?

Someone inquired, “How is Baptism an Identification with the Death of Jesus?” New Testament passages provide a clear answer for this question. Especially two passages enlighten us about the relationship of baptism to the death of our Lord.

…as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him (Romans 6:3-8 NKJV; see also Colossians 2:12).

Baptism places one into the likeness of the death of Christ. We also imitate the resurrection of our Lord as we arise from the watery grave of baptism. He walked anew in physical life, while baptized believers walk anew in spiritual life. Baptized believers leave their past sins (Romans 3:25) in the spiritual grave of baptism. One cannot live for Christ until he has united with Christ in His death through baptism.

No wonder other passages throughout the New Testament emphasize that salvation (from past sins) occurs at the point of baptism. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved… (Mark 16:16 NKJV). “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38). “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). “There is also an antitype which now saves us — baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21). Bible baptism (immersion) may appear to the uninformed to be a bath, for the cleansing of the body, but Bible baptism has as its purpose the cleansing of the soul from sin. It does that by uniting one spiritually with Jesus Christ in His death, which is where he shed His sin-cleansing blood (John 19:34; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:7).