7. What does it mean to be “dead to sin” in the rite of baptism?

The apostle Paul states that in baptism believers “have been united together in the likeness of His [Christ’s] death” (Romans 6:5) and “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20). This means that our old self, which centered on the things of this world such as power, material possessions, or sexual immorality, has been crucified and we are no longer slaves to doing wrong. The person who has died to self through the power of Christ’s crucifixion has been freed from sin. JTL16 9.1

Believers who enter the rite of baptism renounce their former lifestyle, confirming that the “old things have passed away” and their lives are hid with Christ in God. Baptism is not only a death, but a burial. We are “buried with Him in baptism.” When the believer goes down into the watery grave of baptism, the old life that passed away when he accepted Jesus as his Savior is buried. JTL16 9.2

When the Holy Spirit calls someone to repentance, He also calls them to baptism. Thus, baptism is also a mark of repentance. Believers die to their transgressing of the law and obtain forgiveness of sin through the cleansing blood of Jesus. The baptismal ceremony is a public demonstration of an inner cleansing—the washing away of sins that have been confessed. JTL16 9.3

The day a person is baptized is a time for joy and celebration! All of heaven rejoices! JTL16 9.4