If our faith is from God and of God, and not just a mental understanding and agreement with theology, we will begin to witness our scriptural position of crucifixion and resurrection transformed into living reality here in the present wicked age. Our faith, which is a gift from God, transforms the promises of the Scriptures into solid fact.

Water baptism is the provision God has made so the believer may portray that by faith he is putting from his life the old corrupt nature. Here is the new covenant fulfillment of Passover Week, the Week of Unleavened Bread.

Water baptism depicts burial and resurrection, the beginning of the new life for each person who receives God's Passover Lamb, Christ, who was "slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8).

The feast of Unleavened Bread means every trace of the old life, the old "leaven" of the world, is to be removed from us. Every "Egyptian," to speak figuratively, is to be "left in the Red Sea." To repent is to turn away from the old leaven of sin, of malice and wickedness, and to enter the Kingdom of God as a little child.

In water baptism we enter the death of the cross and we enter also the resurrection Life of Christ. We enter the death of the cross so every trace of Satan's authority over us may be terminated. From this point forward we are free to choose to serve God.

Before entering the death of Christ we were not free to choose to be servants of righteousness. We were bound in the kingdom of darkness and were compelled to obey the spirit of the world, of wickedness.

Now we are loosed legally from the power of darkness, through the authority of the blood of Christ. Now we are free to choose to obey the Spirit of God and to act, speak, and think in a righteous and holy manner. This is the meaning of the sixth chapter of Romans and the fulfillment in the Christian of the feast of Unleavened Bread.

To be continued.