Baptism has been a symbolic way of joining the Church from the very start of Christianity.
Baptism is a sign of:
Forgiveness – Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptised” (removal of sin and guilt)
Faith – Acts 16:31 “Believe in the Lord and you will be saved” (showing belief)
New Life – Romans 6:3-4 “We were buried with him through baptism” (new start/clean slate)
Baptism involves four things:
washing sin/the past away
a sinful way of living dies and a new way of living starts
starting a new life in Christ
receiving the Holy SpiritThe third element of the 'Trinity' (God is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit). The Holy Spirit is active as God's presence and power in the world. (in some denominations)
Baptism predates Christianity. John the BaptistFor Christians, the person who came to prepare the way of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and who baptised him in the River Jordan. baptised Jesus even before the Church existed.
Baptism uses water as a sign of cleansing and that sin has been removed from the person who is baptised.
Often the person to be baptised will wear white clothes to symbolise the purity which baptism brings.
Jesus told his disciples that they were to baptise those who came to follow him.