Before being immersed in the water, the baptismal candidate is given the opportunity to affirm his/her sinfulness and need for a Savior by answering the question, “Do you believe that God created you and loves you deeply, but that you have broken His commandments, and as a result, were separated from Him?"

The baptismal candidate is then given the opportunity to publicly profess his/her belief in Jesus Christ by answering the question, “Do you believe that Jesus is the Only-Begotten Son of God who came to rescue you by living a sinless life and then dying on the cross in your place to pay the price for your sin?” and “Do you believe that Jesus rose from the grave the third day and lives today?"

Finally, the baptismal candidate is given the opportunity to profess his/her explicit faith in Christ by answering the question, “Have you repented of your sin and received Jesus Christ as your only Lord and Savior?”

The Apostle Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). All who have received Christ have been crucified with Christ. God the Father has judged us guilty of sin, and our sentence has been carried out on Jesus at the cross. The Bible teaches that our “old self” has been crucified and buried with Christ, and being immersed in the water symbolizes this death and burial of the old self. The water represents the grave into which our old self has been buried. “For you died,” the Bible says, “and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). 

Not only have we been buried in Christ, but we have also been raised with Him. Paul wrote, “We were therefore buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Because Jesus has been raised from the dead, we who have received Him have also been raised to eternal life in Christ.  Jesus lives in us, and we walk with Him eternally. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26). We who live and believe in Jesus have already died with Him, and we have been raised to eternal life. Baptism illustrates this truth by illustrating our being raised from the watery tomb into which we were lowered.