Jesus answered, "Most assuredly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can't enter into the Kingdom of God!
(3) The ceremony of immersion called baptism is the God-ordained rite of initiation into Jesus Christ; and that status of being the appointed device by which God inducts the penitent into corporate union with the Son of God, that is, into his kingdom, church, or spiritual body - that status uniquely belongs to the baptismal ceremony.  As Vine noted, "Baptizing into the Name  (Matthew 28:19) would indicate that the baptized person was closely bound to, or became the property of, the one into whose Name he was baptized."[10]  Three times the New Testament declares that people are baptized "into Christ," or into his "body"  (Galatians 3:26,27;  Romans 6:3-5;  1 Corinthians 12:13).  See article, "Jesus Christ Incorporated," my Commentary on Romans, p. 123.  It is encouraging to note that present-day scholarship is taking a further look at the importance of the baptismal ceremony.  Thus, Beasley-Murray recently assented to the key thesis maintained here, namely, that "Baptism is the occasion when the Spirit brings to new life him that believes in the Son of Man!"[11]  This is true; and if, through failure to obey the Lord in baptism the OCCASION never comes, then neither will the new life.