Water baptism is not a personal choice but rather a command for all believers. Jesus established water baptism as an ordinance when He gave the Great Commission (see Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16) Water baptism is a public declaration of our faith in Jesus Christ and identifies the believer with the message of the gospel, the Person of Jesus Christ, and other believers. Baptism signifies the believer’s death to the old life and his or her resurrection as a new creation in Christ (see Romans 6:1–8; Colossians 2:12).