When we put our trust in Jesus, we are born again. We are joined to Him, and His life becomes a part of our life. Romans 6:3-4 says, “All of us who were baptized (immersed) into Christ Jesus were baptized (immersed) into His death. We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” The word “baptism” in these verses is not speaking of water baptism, but our immersion into the body of Christ and our union with Him. His death and resurrection becomes our own history.

On the other hand, this is the very thing that baptism in water symbolizes. It is us saying publicly that we are dying to our old, selfish way of life, and we are rising to a new life of love for God and others. We come into right relationship with God by trusting in Jesus, that He died for our sins and rose again. Baptism is an expression of that trust. When we are baptized in water we are proclaiming to God, to every man, to the angels of God and the demons of hell that we are trusting in Jesus as our Savior and our King. “For he (God) has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14 NIV)

Personally, I see in scripture that people were baptized when they put their trust in King Jesus. Also, the Greek word for baptize (baptizo) means to immerse or dunk. I do not believe in sprinkling little babies and counting that as baptism. On the other hand, if you were sprinkled as a baby and you have peace that you have been baptized, that is between you and God. If you are going to be baptized as a new believer, I recommend that you find a church that believes the Bible and who will publicly dunk you. Again, this is a picture of you dying to your old, selfish way of life, and rising to a new life of love for God and others. Expect the Holy Spirit of God to empower you in a special way to live for Jesus from the time you come up out of the water. In Acts 2:38,

“Peter said unto them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost’ “ (KJV).

That last quote was from the King James Version, in old English.