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Christianity.
Baptism, the rite of initiation into the Christian community,
expresses important beliefs of Christianity, through its ritual and
symbols. The pouring water showing it as living water symbolises
spiritual rebirth to new life and cleansing from sin, which reflects
belief in forgiveness and rebirth from original sin. Immersion
symbolises death to an old way of life and rising to a new life
following in Christs way, which expresses the central belief in the
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. St Paul wrote of having been
buried with him in baptism and raised with him through faith (1
Colossians 2:12). Another important rite, the changing into white
robe, symbolises the putting on of the new life in Christ, which
demonstrates the renouncing of sin and changing in a positive way
to live the life of the Spirit. It expresses that the individual is
cleansed from original sin and signifies a new life. As people are
baptised into the Church, the body of Christ, they are able to
experience more fully the significance of the death and resurrection
of Jesus.