When a person is baptized, he goes to meet his just end in death and burial. Baptism means simply
burial, putting away in death those who were under the penalty of death, and in reality were not
fit to live. Of course, our sinless, spotless Lord–who also was baptized–was an exception to this.
His baptism symbolized a work on behalf of others.

We speak here of water baptism. The baptism of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13) is an entirely different
thing. Water baptism is the act of a disciple of Christ. It effects nothing in itself and conveys no
virtue. It is simply a picture of burial in death.

Two scriptures give us, with great fullness of meaning, the truth as to baptism. "As many of us
as have been baptized unto Christ Jesus have been baptized unto His death. We have been buried
therefore with Him" (Rom. 6:3,4 JND). "As many as have been baptized unto Christ have put on
Christ" (Gal. 3:27 JND). Baptism means that we have come to the end of self by the death of
Christ. We have touched Christ in His death.

God "has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ" (Eph. 1:3 JND). In
order to do this it was necessary to remove the hindrance to what He had purposed for us. This
was twofold–our sins and ourselves. The full gospel is that not only our sins but we ourselves
have been put away. A half gospel results in stunted Christians. They would not think of clinging
to their sins as they cling to self, their worst enemy, knowing not the truth which baptism preaches
from the house tops. Would God put away sins and not the self from which the sins came? How
slow we are to own its utter ruin and complete condemnation in the cross of Christ.

If we want to know what self really is, the following scriptures, among many others, will tell us:
"Every imagination of the thoughts of [man’s] heart was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5). "Ah,
sinful nation … the whole head is sick and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even
unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores" (Isa.
1:6). "I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips" (Isa. 6:5).
"There is none righteous, no not one…. There is none that does good, no, not one…. There is no
fear of God before their eyes" (Rom. 3:10-18). "The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit
against the flesh:and these are contrary the one to the other" (Gal. 5:17-21).

The work of Christ on the cross has effected the removal of both sins and self. As to our sins,
Christ was "delivered for our offenses and has been raised for our justification" (Rom. 4:25 JND).
As to ourselves, we are dead by His death. "We have died with Christ" (Rom. 6:8 JND). "I am
crucified with Christ and no longer live" (Gal. 2:20 JND). These verses give us the negative side
of the truth–what was against us and what we have been brought out of. This prepares us for the
positive side of the truth–what we have been brought into.

In place of self we "have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27). Sins and self are gone only to have Christ
now for everything. He has become our practical substitute in the path here. He is now our true
self. We walk by the rule of new creation in which "Christ is ALL" (Col. 3:11). "For me to live
is Christ" (Phil. 1:21). It does not say for Christ, but implies Christ instead of me. The Lord Jesus

lives and acts in and through us, instead of our living for Him, being something for Him, and
doing something for Him.

Let me illustrate this truth with a little anecdote:A church member went to her minister and
complained, "I cannot get along with Mrs. X. I simply cannot love her as I should." The minister
replied, "Are you willing to let Christ love her through you?"

The essence of sin is being conscious of self and acting of ourselves independent of God (see Gen.
3:7-11). In 1 John 2:12-17, the message to the "fathers" who have reached the stage of Christian
maturity is simply, "You have known Him who is from the beginning." "This is life eternal, that
they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent" (John 17:3).
Faith knows Christ and Him only. In Him faith also sees and knows the Father. "I in them, and
Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one" (John 17:23). The knowledge of the Father
and the Son in eternal life displaces the knowing of self and being self-led. We can forget
self–GOOD or BAD or any other kind of self. Instead, we "grow in grace, and in the knowledge
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 3:18).

(Adapted from an assembly bulletin of 1950; submitted by Edwin Read, Jr.)