Until I saw your explanations, I had never understood what the Baptists believe about baptism. I had friends growing up that "got saved", but all were subsequently baptized. I thought it just semantics. Now that you have expressed your belief that a work of man as you call it (baptism) is not the method by which we are saved, it makes the Baptist's beliefs more clear. When my friends used to say "I got saved at church today," they obviously went through some ritual. I assumed it was walking down the aisle, telling the minister that they wanted to be saved, and confessing their belief before the congregation. I assume you are going to tell me that none of that was required. All they had to do was hear and believe in their heart. Do you believe that repentence and confession are necessary to be saved or only hearing and belief?
I haven't seen anyone else ask this question. In the record of conversions to Christiantiy in Acts, you can find examples of hearing, believing, repenting and confessing, but you never see all four of those listed in every incident. However you do see baptism listed in every incident. If it is not necessary, why is it in every example in Acts?
Lots of things happened in Acts that do not happen anywhere else. It's called a transition book for good reason. The Gospel was about to be preached to the Gentiles, who did not seek after a sign as did the Jews.
So baptism as an OUTWARD sign of the inward change was very important in the lives of these Jewish believers.
It didn't save them, but it did add them to the church, as the Bible says.
I believe that salvation is fully by Grace, not of any work that man can do, inclduing baptism.
Salvation by baptism is a belief that started with the Catholic church and continues there today.