Romans 6:6-11
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. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The picture below is of the eight people that have decided to take a huge step in the Lord. They did just that through water baptism in beautiful Oleta River State Park. As we read Romans chapter 6 we should see the importance of water baptism as believers.

It was a perfect day for a perfect occasion. As these eight individuals would enter the water I would tell them “smile, I know you’re walking into your funeral BUT I promise you’re going to resurrect”. It was amazing to see lives that once were slaves to sin, to now see them freed from that sin. In those waters a funeral took place, the old sinful nature of these eight individuals was buried and left in the water. As they came out of the water, instantly they are now a new creation in Christ Jesus. They have been freed from sin, they died with Christ, now they will also live with Him. The scripture says death no longer has dominion over them. What a life! What a Savior we serve!

The enemy had a plan for the lives of these eight special people – to put them to shame, to confuse them and to ultimately destroy them, but the Lord had a greater plan – to love them, to secure them and finally to save them. They are living testimonies that our Lord still works miracles today. It reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 9:5
“For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk?” Arise and walk sounds pretty great to me but the Lord had something else in mind, to forgive sins. Jesus knew what others did not understand, that our spiritual state is much more important than our physical state. These eight have experienced a miracle, they have heard Jesus’ voice saying “your sins are forgiven”. In the physical, their desires might still not be met but in the spiritual, the only One who is able to heal and forgive them has done so. They can now reckon themselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).

Blessings!