Early in His ministry, Jesus revealed the way to enter God's eternal Kingdom. We must be "Born again", a birth from above realized by water and the Spirit. (John 3:3)

Salvation, then, is more than forgiveness of sins, more than mental acceptance of Christ and His teachings. For, in salvation, we are given union with God through Christ, a right and full relationship with the Holy Trinity, and the restoration of our full humanity. All these things are accomplished through the Incarnation, the union of God and man in the Person of Jesus Christ. Salvation, then, is founded on a substantial union of the believer with Christ in His full humanity, a flesh to flesh relationship. Our Holy Father St. Paul likens it to the joining of husband and wife (Eph. 5:23-32)

Throughout their epistles, the apostles remind us the new birth is necessary for salvation. We die to sin; then, buried with Christ and risen with Him, we are united to Christ and to His body, the Church. We are cleansed, justified, and sanctified-all in baptism, "the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:5) Without our repentance and faith, however, immersion in water would be of no effect.

Some Christians bypass baptism and stress only faith. Why is the mystery of the water necessary? Because just as Christ actually died on a cross, was buried, and rose again - all through His faith and God's grace - so we must actually be immersed in the sacramental waters of baptism, made effectual through our faith and God's grace.

The basic form of baptism is simple. The person to be born again, joined to Christ, is immersed in the water three times in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (see Matt.28:19) . The first-century Didache teaches, 'If you do not have running water, use whatever is available. And if you cannot do it in cold water, use warm. But if you have neither, pour water on the head three times--in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.'

In the new birth, a true mystery takes place. For in the Sacrament of Baptism, we die, going down into the water to be mystically united to Christ in His death, and we live again, rising up out of the water in His resurrected humanity. In short we are born again. To Thee be Glory and Praise, now and ever, unto Ages of Ages.