The water of baptism is a symbol of a grave in which we identify with Jesus Christ in His death. Going under the water says that we deserved to die for our sins, but trust that He died instead of us. Under the water, we identify with His burial and declare all our sins buried (Micah 7:19). Coming out of the water we declare that as Jesus was raised from the dead, He gives us a new life. 2 Corinthians 5:15 puts it like this: “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

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Paul Adams