The Wedding Ring
IllustrationAnalogy★★★★WHEN a lady gets married, she puts on a ring. That ring does not make her married. She could be married without a ring, just like you could be saved without being baptized. But what the ring does do is serve as a sign that she is married.
Many times when you see a guy talking to a girl, you will see his eyes go south as he is looking at the left hand to see whether or not she has already been spoken for and belongs to another. I am certain that a wife who refused to wear her ring would insult any man. He would probably take that as a rejection of him. The ring is more than a piece of jewelry.
The piece of jewelry represents an institution and a covenant. Like a ring is symbolic for marriage, baptism is a sign of our covenant with God.
The point
As a wedding ring signifies marriage, baptism is the external sign of our covenant with God.