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When I am asked this important question, I share the following reasons.

1) It’s a way of revealing the inner work of someone’s heart in a clear, understandable manner.

How do I express my faith in Jesus for His amazing salvation? Water baptism allows me to illustrate what has happened to my “inner man”. By entering the baptismal font, submerging in water and being raised up, I show what has happened to me. I have embraced Jesus by faith, died with Him, and been raised up in new life with Him. My demonstration is more impactful than words. Acting out my faith in my Saviour, involving my whole body, shows how fully immersive my walk with Jesus is to me.

2) It is a point of contact for me to release my faith.

When I come out of the baptismal water, I demonstrate I am alive in Jesus, a brand new creature in Him. Baptism not only symbolises my cleansing from sins when I go into the water, but also my emergence as a new person when I come up. This represents the new life I am living. It’s not just about the day of the baptism, but is about my new life from this day forward. I can set my faith to believe for God’s power to be released in my life.

3) It allows me to show my faith boldly to my friends and family.

Baptism is not just about me and God. It’s a public showing to my community. My friends and family can’t see inside my heart. They can’t see the faith I have, but they can see my faith through my actions. This process is not a simple ceremony of walking on a stage, shaking a representative’s hand, and receiving a certificate. No, my friends watch me step into a tank of water. They see me being fully immersed. They witness me coming up, saturated, dripping water everywhere. An unmistakable demonstration that I am “all in” following Jesus.

I encourage everyone who follows Jesus to obey His commandment to be baptised, and to do so with intention, full of faith. Baptism becomes a wonderful opportunity for the release of power in your life, your family and friends, and your church family.