Water baptism is a visual and symbolic demonstration of a person’s union with Christ, by grace and through faith, in the likeness of his death and resurrection, and of all the benefits that are entailed by that union. Baptism signifies that a person’s former way of life has been put to death, and that he or she has risen to a new abundant life. Put simply, baptism is a beautiful God-given ordinance which displays, proclaims, and testifies to the reality of the gospel.