Romans 6:4

We all sin many times a day. We all break the commandments of God. But what do you do with your sins? Romans 6 teaches us that our sins have been buried with Christ by baptism. You are connected to Christ by your baptism. This means that your baptism is a sign that your sins have been buried with Christ. When Christ died, your sins died with him. So when you ask for your sins to be forgiven, they are indeed forgiven. They are remembered no more.

But Christ also rose from the dead. He didn’t stay dead. This is shown in baptism too. Sometimes when a person is baptized, they are immersed or lowered under the water. This is a sign that their sins are forgiven, gone, buried with Christ. But then they rise out of the water again. This is a sign that just as Christ rose from the dead, so a baptized person rises up again too. When we have been raised with Christ, we are made clean, washed, purified. You are a new person.

But how then must you act? What does your baptism mean to you? It means that you should not see yourself as a sinner anymore. Oh, yes, you still struggle with sins. You still sin every day. But you also have a new name, a new identity. You are a forgiven sinner. And so you have to live as a forgiven sinner. You have to walk in newness of life.

You have the power of Christ to live a new life. The Holy Spirit is at work in your life. Sin should no longer control you, should no longer have a hold of you. Instead, you will hate sin and want to obey God’s laws.

Yes, it is very hard not to sin. And, yes, you will sin every day. But remember that the power of Christ’s resurrection is even stronger than the power of sin. Ask God to help you to live as a new person, as a forgiven sinner. And thank God for his forgiveness when you do sin.

Reflection with your child:

What does it mean to you that you are baptized?