To expand upon this question, we must look at the symbolism of baptism. When you enter the baptismal waters, your old self is buried with Christ. When you rise from the water, you are rising to new life in Jesus. Colossians 2:12 says, “For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead” (NLT). The act of baptism is an outward expression of an inward reality. It is our public declaration of God’s work within our hearts.
Baptism is a beautiful way to show that you are “all-in” with God. We baptize believers in front of our community of brothers and sisters in Christ because it helps hold us accountable in our faith. When we make it known through baptism that we count ourselves as a believer in Christ, we also ask our fellow believers to help guide us in the faith.
The Bible talks a great deal about baptism because it is important to the Lord. It is an initiation into the body of Christ, imbued with deep symbolism of our salvation. But most importantly, it is an act of obedience to our Father in heaven, who has asked it of us. Even Christ Himself, who didn’t need to be cleansed by the baptismal waters, chose to obey. Take His actions as an example to follow, and commit to obeying God through baptism.
