God did not give the Bible so we could master him or it; God gave the Bible so we could live it, so we could be mastered by it. The moment we think we’ve mastered it, we have failed to be readers of the Bible. —Scot McKnight
The sacrament of baptism in some early churches would make us blush today. New followers of Christ would come to the water in their old robes, strip down to only their birthday suits, be dipped in the water, and, upon exiting, receive new white robes.
It is beautiful imagery that states, “I’m coming to Christ and leaving my old life—this old cloak—on the shore. I’m bringing nothing with me, as I have nothing of value to offer Him. I’m crucified with Christ, buried with Christ, and raised to new life with Christ. As I step into this new life, I am clothed with Christ. I am unified with Christ.”
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (Galatians 3:26-27)
The context for baptism in the early church is really interesting. The word baptizo comes from bapto, which means to “dip and dye.” The idea was that a white cloth, when dipped in the dye, came up differently. The cloth identified with the dye and was forever changed. (This was before the days of Clorox.)
What does it mean to be in Christ? It means He envelopes you; He clothes you, He identifies with you so strongly that you are inseparable from Christ—like the dye in the cloth. As His child, you are swallowed up into Christ. No other identity matters.
Yes, you are a child of God. Nothing else matters.
Jesus, I choose to dye with you. Amen. (See what I did there?)