I have a hard time understanding Galatians 3:26-27. What does it mean?
Galatians 3:26-27 says, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” What a wonderful truth we have in verse 26! Each person who places their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ is a child of God. It is not just the good-looking, the wealthy, or those with a certain shade of skin color. No! Everyone is a child of God who has looked to the Lord Jesus in repentance and faith and accepted the free gift of salvation. What a wonderful God and Savior is ours! This truth is expanded on in Galatians 4:1-7, “Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
Considering verse 27, getting baptized in water is an outward picture of putting on Christ. Think of it as putting on a coat that everyone can see. Baptism is a testimony to the world that a person is a follower of Christ. Baptism is also a picture of dying with Christ. As we read in Romans 6:4, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Baptism does not bring about eternal salvation. As we read in 1 Peter 3:21, “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” We see in this verse that baptism does not cleanse our sinful flesh. It is only by “the precious blood of Christ” as we read in 1 Peter 1:19 that our sins are washed away. As we read in 1 John 1:7, “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” We also read in Titus 3:5-6, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” These verses show that salvation is not of works. Baptism is a work or something that we do. Therefore, no one receives eternal salvation because they got baptized. However, baptism is a picture of genuine salvation. (170.2) (DJ)