The Immersed Life

We are an immersed people. We are soaked and marinated in our culture. As sinners, we are buried under the avalanche of sin. And, as believers, we are immersed in Christ, washed by his blood, and clothed with his righteousness.

We are Baptists. We immerse. We believe that this is a wonderful Gospel portrayal of the overwhelming truth of the forgiveness of sins. The sacrifice of Christ is sufficient to completely cleanse us from our sins. His identification with us was and is so complete, that no debt is left over, no punishment is yet due. Jesus paid it all.

But we desire to not only glory in the immersed life accomplished by justification, but also to experience the immersed life worked out in sanctification. How do I live the immersed life? How can I be so soaked in Christ that I am freed from my attachments to sinful patterns which are only encouraged by a godless culture?

I believe the answer is to live the Gospel - to be immersed in Gospel living. We need to learn what it means to be Gospel family members, and Gospel students, and Gospel employees, managers, bosses, and entrepreneurs.

It begins with sin. Jesus died for my sins. In my desire to be immersed in Christ, I will live “dead to sin” (Romans 6:3,4). We need to become much more serious about our playing around with this cancer in our lives. How can we ever expect the enjoy the blessings of the immersed life when, by our indulgence in attitudes and activities which condone carelessness with regard to sin, we treat Jesus’ sacrifice for sin as being trivial? The cross of Jesus was the decisive attack in the battle against sin and Satan, a war that continues to rage in our world, our culture, our homes, and in our bodies. Can we continue to behave as though we are at peace?

We must live “alive” to God. Wake up! Pay attention! Our God reigns! Stop living as though God does not exist! Talk to Him! Listen to Him! Seek His help in your recalcitrant heart. Submit to each prodding of His Spirit to listen, to learn, to lean on Him.

This is the beginning of the immersed life.