IMMERSION

“So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Romans 13:12b-14)

          Paul’s letter to the Roman Church was written in Corinth while he was on his way to Jerusalem with funds he had collected for the poor. He had never visited Rome to this point and was hoping to lay out a systematic presentation of the Gospel so as to win the favor of the Romans. This would enable him to utilize Rome as a missionary center or home base, if you will, to launch from. He had designs on visiting Spain with the Gospel and Rome would be a perfect launching point.

          Here we see Paul encouraging those believers in Rome to set aside dark deeds and put on the armor God offers to every believer. This armor is discussed at length in Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church. We are not to act one way in plain sight of others during the day and be involved in highly questionable activities after the sun has set. Paul tells us directly to clothe ourselves in Christ. When we place clothing on our bodies it hangs on us and covers us. Clothing protects us from exposure to the elements. In like manner Christ protects us from all evil and directs us into all truth. We are to put on Christ as we would a garment and wear it daily so as to protect ourselves from the wiles of our adversary. The devil will do his best to trip us up, so it is crucial that we become immersed in Christ. That goes further than Paul’s statement of clothing ourselves. I believe it goes much deeper than that. Immersion doesn’t always imply being dipped in some sort of liquid. It can also mean “involve oneself deeply in a particular activity or interest”. We need to involve ourselves in Godly endeavors. We need to make sure we avoid places and activities that provide unnecessary temptations. A Christian’s life is not a boring one filled with a lot of restrictions, but rather an exciting life where we live for God and watch His will unfold right in front of us. We must be paying attention to see it and must be attuned to what He is doing, or we will miss it. God knows what He’s doing. Immerse yourself in Christ today and see what happens. Immersion isn’t salvation, but rather the next step which brings a closeness and understanding. Make Christ the focal point of your life. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries