To be baptized means to undergo a Christian sacrament involving the ritual use of water, symbolizing a person's identification with Jesus Christ-his death, burial, and resurrection-and admission into the Christian community

. Baptism is both a public declaration of faith and an outward expression of an inward spiritual change, signifying the believer's repentance, forgiveness of sins, and new life in Christ

. The act of baptism represents several key theological meanings:

• Identification with Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, symbolized by immersion or pouring of water, which reflects dying to an old life of sin and rising to a new life in Christ

• Spiritual purification and rebirth, cleansing the believer from sin and marking their entrance into the family of God

• Obedience to Jesus' command to make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, following Jesus’ own example of baptism by John the Baptist

• Initiation into the Christian faith community, signifying a new beginning and commitment to live according to Christ’s teachings

Baptism is not the means of salvation itself, which comes by faith, but it is an important step of obedience and public testimony of that faith

. It is often accompanied by promises from the individual or, in the case of infant baptism, from parents and godparents to raise the child in the Christian faith

. In summary, baptism means being spiritually cleansed, publicly identifying with Christ’s death and resurrection, and entering the Christian community as a follower of Jesus. It is a foundational rite marking the beginning of a Christian life.