“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3)

In essence, water baptism is a public demonstration of one’s faith in Jesus Christ, and it is done as an outward sign of the inward reality that has already taken place in their lives.

When believers are baptized, they are making a public proclamation that they are totally identified with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They are proclaiming publicly that they are saved, that they have surrendered their life to Jesus, and they are totally His.

Jesus Christ commands us to be baptized:

(Matthew 28:18-20)

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

• the believer’s faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ;
• the believer’s old life and sin being buried with Christ;
• the believer’s resurrection with Christ to walk in newness of life;
• the believer’s identification with the Church; and
• the believer’s anticipation of the final resurrection of the dead