5-Day Bible Reading Plan and Devotional Guide
Based on the Themes of Baptism, Union with Christ, and New Life
Day 1: Buried and Raised — The Meaning of Union with Christ
Reading: Romans 6:1-11
Devotional:
Paul teaches that to be united with Christ means to share in both His death and His resurrection. The believer is not merely forgiven and left unchanged — they are fundamentally new. Going down into the waters of baptism pictures the burial of the old self. Coming up pictures the resurrection life that Christ won. This is not symbolic theater. It is a declaration of spiritual reality. You who trust Christ have died to sin’s ultimate power over you. Ask yourself today: am I living as someone who is truly alive in Christ, or am I still conducting myself as though the old self remains on the throne?
Day 2: Washed Clean — The Sign of Cleansing and New Birth
Reading: Ezekiel 36:25-27 and Titus 3:4-7
Devotional:
Long before the New Testament, God promised through the prophet Ezekiel that He would sprinkle clean water on His people, remove their hearts of stone, and place His Spirit within them. This was never about ritual washing alone. It was a promise of inward transformation made possible only by divine grace. Titus 3 echoes this, describing salvation as a washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit — not earned by works, but given freely through Christ. Reflect today on the state of your heart. Has God replaced the stone with flesh? Have you received His Spirit, or are you still relying on outward religion alone?
Day 3: Crossing Over — Judgment, Mercy, and the Waters of God
Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 and 1 Peter 3:18-22
Devotional:
Water runs throughout the story of redemption carrying two truths at once — judgment and mercy. The flood that destroyed the world also carried Noah to safety. The Red Sea that swallowed Pharaoh’s army opened dry ground for Israel. Peter draws a direct line from these events to baptism, not as the thing that saves, but as the sign that corresponds to a salvation already accomplished. God has always been in the business of bringing His people through what would otherwise destroy them. Where in your life do you need to trust that the same God who parted the sea is able to carry you through your present trial?
Day 4: Belonging — Entry into the Covenant People of God
Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22 and Hebrews 12:22-24
Devotional:
No Christian is meant to stand alone. When you confess Christ as Lord and Savior, you are not simply making a private transaction with God. You are being grafted into a covenant community that stretches across every century, every nation, and every tongue. The writer of Hebrews describes a vast assembly — angels, the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and the church of the firstborn enrolled in heaven. You belong to that company. This should shape how you view Sunday worship, accountability with fellow believers, and the use of your spiritual gifts. Isolation is not humility. It is disobedience. Who in your church community are you investing in and allowing to invest in you?
Day 5: Go and Proclaim — The Command and the Joy of Baptism
Reading: Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 2:36-41
Devotional:
The risen Christ did not offer baptism as an optional extra for the especially devoted. He commanded it. And when Peter preached at Pentecost and three thousand souls were added to the church, they were baptized that very day. There was no delay, no hesitation. Their baptism was a public proclamation that everything had changed — that they were no longer who they once were, that Christ had died for them and risen, and that they belonged to Him. Baptism is not the finish line. It is a declaration made at the starting point of a life of discipleship. If you know Christ and have not been baptized, let today be the day you take that step of obedience and proclamation.