Baptism is a ceremonial action or rite in which disciples make a formal "oath of allegiance" to Christ, where they solemnize the heart's commitment and dedication to Christ.
"Solemnize" means "To celebrate or observe with dignity and gravity. To perform with formal ceremony. To make serious or grave." It means "to observe or honor with solemnity" and "to perform with pomp or ceremony, especially to celebrate (a marriage) with religious rites," and "to make solemn" or to "dignify."
"Solemnity" denotes a "formal or ceremonious observance of an occasion or event"; And, to "dignify" means "to give distinction to," to "ennoble."
Did God not solemnize the eating of bread when he instituted the Passover eating of bread? Did the Lord not solemnize the conversion experience in instituting both water baptism and the Lord's Supper?
When are two hearts united together in holy matrimony? Is it when they say their vows to each other in private? When the offer of matrimony is made and accepted? Certainly so. Then what is marriage? Is it not but a formal ceremony intended to formally declare the union and to solemnize the prior uniting of hearts? It is then a ceremony of recognition.
Christian baptism is intended to solemnize Christian conversion and is very important, yet is not a "sine qua non" of the union.
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