Greetings in Christ,
Have you ever watched people as they approach a body of water? It could be a pool, pond, or lake as the body of water people enter. There are some who go and dip toes into the water and stay close to the sides or wade along the edge, but there are those who will not even go into the water. Then there are those who dive in with no reservation at all; they simply just get completely immersed into the water.
There are many excuses given as to why those who choose to stay along the edge remain unwilling to go into the water. Some may not know how to swim, or they choose not to get their hair wet. Some have a fear of the water or some reason which keeps them from getting totally wet and enjoying the full benefits of the water.
There is something wonderful about being totally immersed in the water which those who do not choose to go completely in the water cannot experience. There is a sense of weightlessness which allows a person to float in the water. The weight of their body is light and buoyant which gives a sense of freedom a person cannot enjoy out of the water. The person who is totally immersed in the water can do things which they cannot do out of the water.
Christianity is like a body of water. People want to be totally immersed into it, while there are others who want to remain on the edges. Those who become totally immersed in Christianity find freedom they cannot find outside of it, and they enjoy the full benefits of being a Christian. Those who remain on the edges find things hard to endure not knowing the full benefit of being a Christian. Those who are totally immersed into Christianity find they can do things they could not do on their own.
Paul gives this image as he writes to the Romans as they were baptized in Jesus, and they went through the same transformation as Jesus experienced. Jesus died with all the sins of the world, but then He was raised back to life by His Father to live a new life free from sin He died with. Paul is trying to tell the people once they are totally immersed in Jesus they die to their sins and enjoy the benefits of new life in Christ. They are free from their past life of sin to enjoy the freedom of Christianity. Once they are totally immersed in Jesus the weight of their sin is lifted off them giving them the freedom to enjoy Jesus’ presence in their life.
Those who choose to remain of the edge do not have that sense of freedom and feel bound to their past with the weight of their sin bearing down on them. They cannot overcome their past because they are trying to do things in their own strength. They are missing out on the benefits of living a Christian life, and they do not enjoy the freedom which comes from being totally immersed in Jesus.
John records Jesus telling the people He could do nothing outside of the Father. Jesus knew He could do nothing unless He was totally immersed in the Father. He could only do what He saw the Father do because He had the freedom to be just like the Father. Jesus was totally immersed in His faith knowing His Father would work through Him.
Sometimes we look at our Christian life and say we are all in, but we are still staying on the edge. We like it close to the edge because it is where we feel more comfortable, but the battle to maintain the weight of the world becomes more than we can handle. It is only when we get totally immersed into living a Christian life, we feel the weight of the world lifted off of us, and we begin to feel freedom of having Jesus carry the weight for us.
Are you totally immersed in Jesus? What is keeping you from jumping in?
Lord may we be totally immersed in You, and may we enjoy the freedom it brings. Amen
Blessings,