[Zavien Doombringer]

Because :

Romans 10:9King James Version (KJV)

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

so, you are saying Jesus was lying to the criminal?

[Responsibility2nd]

No, I’m saying you are lying when you use the thief as an false example in claiming we can be saved without baptism.

[imardmd1]

The thief, the malefactor, was saved under the Old Mosaic Covenant, for which Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice, not under the New Covenant, which was effected subsequent to His justifying resurrection. In either Covenant, salvation was/is by repentant faith alone on Jesus the Messiah of the Bible alone.

Salvation is instantly assured upon the moment of totally committed trust, and it is permanent.

Baptism is simply a reflection of having entered as as disciple into that New Covenant offered by God. It is an induction rite very similar to being sworn into one of the Armed Forces as a recruit.