Baptism is a public declaration of the transformation that takes place when we move from death to life through faith in Jesus Christ. It powerfully symbolises the reality that our old life has been buried (going under the water) and a new life has begun (rising up from the water) for we have been made alive in Christ. Baptism itself does not save us or make us believers, rather, it is an outward expression of the inward change that has already happened. It is a bold statement to the world that our relationship with Jesus has begun. Baptism is also a first step of obedience, as we follow the example Jesus set for us.