Death through Christ

This morning I read through Colossians, a book that I am always surprised to find is so small.

¹² having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. - Colossians 2:12
I once heard somone use this and similar verses to parallel Jesus' time on the cross, death, and resurection with our baptism and new Christian life - they are remarkably similar. Jesus died, was buried under ground, and rose again to live forever. As Christians, we die to our old lives, are baptised under water, and rise to live in Jesus.
There is a lot of debate about the importance and need for baptism, and I really dont know the answer. This verse suggests that baptism is how we are saved, but there are no specifics on how to baptise (sprinking, full emersion, baptism of the spirit).


 ²⁰ Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ²¹ “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²² These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. ²³ Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. - Colossians 2:20-23

This is probably one of the most freeing verses I have read in a long time. There are a lot of rules in the world, and they all seem right. Dont drive too fast, dont stare into the sun, dont touch a hot stove, and so on. While they all make sense, there is no spiritual benefit or detriment to them - God isnt going to keep you out of heaven because you drove too fast (even if it is rude).