In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. (Colossians 2:11-12)
I have heard people have fruitless debates about what type of baptism is “legitimate.” Is it water baptism "in the name of Jesus only" or "in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," immersed, sprinkled, dunked, or something else?
That’s religion getting in the way of what the Scripture says baptism is all about.
The point of baptism is that we are buried with Jesus. Baptism is about our identification with Christ.
When Jesus hung on the cross, we hung on the cross. When He was put into the grave, you and I were put into the grave. When He arose from the grave, you and I rose from the grave to newness of life.
When someone is placed in water and then arises from it, that is what we signify: death to the old life and rising to a new life in Christ. Baptism is about understanding, receiving, and acting on the love of God that was shown through Jesus. Baptism is a recognition that you’ve been given power and authority through Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. Allow Christ to provide you with a new identity with Him. Understand who you are.
Practical Application – When the enemy tries to remind you about your past, remind yourself that you have been baptized. The old you has been buried with Christ, and you are a new creature with new possibilities, raised to a new life in Him.
Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3