Baptism is the initiation ceremony for members of God's covenant people.
It is for believers who have placed their trust in Christ, and it is done in the name of the Trinity.
Baptism does not guarantee salvation, however, when it is done properly, it does guarantee a special blessing.
The true believer has already been regenerated by The Holy Spirit at the time of their baptism, but the baptism is a sign and a seal of their salvation.
Baptism, when done in faith, does bring a blessing and a grace to the believer. It "seals" their status as a member of the people of God.
It is supposed to be done as an act of faith. The act of going under the water symbolizes the Christian's death to sin and unites the Christian with the death of Christ. Being baptized is an admission of personal sin. One is saying, "Yes, I admit I am a sinner, and I admit that I must die to my sin, and I admit that I need the death of Christ in order to be saved from my sin." Baptism is an act of humility and confession before God. It is also a public declaration of one's union with Christ and confession of ones sin.
Like communion (The Lord's Supper), baptism should be done with prayererful meditation on the truth it symbolizes.
One meditates upon the death and resurrection of Christ, and upon their own death to sin and rebirth to new life.
In many ways, baptism is much more than mere symbol. It is a special blessing, a faith experience, and a seal of one's membership in the covenant.
