**Jesus was sinless, but yet he was Baptized thus it wasn’t for any kind of sin removal.**
He came to fulfill the Law. The priest washed in the laver before doing service to God. And even so, besides the baptism of the Lord, John baptized unto repentance. Paul rebaptized 12 ‘certain disciples’ in Ephesus, in the name of Jesus, that only knew John’s baptism, for he knew that it was a whole new commandment for rebirth.
**Matthew 26:28 King James Version (KJV)
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.**
And the testament didn’t take effect until the death of the testator: “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength AT ALL while the testator liveth”. Heb. 9:16,17
**The law was about man trying to save man and it just didn’t work. It has always been about the blood from Genesis to Revelation and every book in between.**
No argument with that.
**Water is for the flesh**
Do you believe the man-made interpretation that ‘water’, in John 3:5, is the ‘flesh’ in verse 6? John 1:13 covers natural birth, and water is not mentioned there at all.
**Never once did water save anyone as a matter of fact it destroyed the world during the flood.**
“..the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein a few, that is eight souls were SAVED by WATER. The LIKE FIGURE whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” 1Peter 3:20,21
..which harmonizes with all that I put forth in post #81, including this verse....
““Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?” 1Cor 15:29.
...which was just Paul explaining that it all is nothing but vanity if Christ isn’t risen from the dead. But, he knew it was not vain, for Christ is risen. That’s the good conscience Peter was referring to. It is not a vain thing, and it is not a bath. It’s burial with HIM.
All of your references to the epistles are words written to people that already were born again. The intro to those epistles prove that. Chapter 6:1-3 of Hebrews shows that the writer is addressing people that know Acts 2:38. Even Revelation has John saying: “John, to the seven churches which are in Asia..”. Rev. 1:4
**I personally will go with the sinless and perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ for my salvation and view water Baptism as and outward visible expression of a new creation.**
..and reject his words, commanded to his apostles in his commissions, and first expressed to the lost in Acts 2:38?
The Mormons use the same verse to defend their being baptized for the dead. Do you even know why and what this refers to? Have you stumbled into 'judaizing' the Gospel of God's Grace in Christ?
Think upon the reason Jesus said that those who will not acknowledge Him before men He will not acknowledge before the Father in Heaven. You have 'almost' lifted baptism to the level of something to be proud of. Applying God's Grace is God's work, not in any way your work, lest you boast ...
“He came to fulfill the Law.”
And through him so have I, and IAW Scriptures I have been born again and been Baptized by the Holy Spirit! Yes I have been water baptized, but that didn’t save me in any form or fashion. John wasn’t worthy to untie the sandals of Jesus I think that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the SAVING act.
“SAVED by WATER. The LIKE FIGURE”
Sorry, but the water didn’t save them it killed wicked mankind! You are not understanding the Scripture, the water and the Word of God saved them by leading them into the Ark
“LIKE FIGURE JESUS THE CHRIST THE MESSIAH SAVED THEM!”
When Jesus lives in us and us in him like the Ark WE ARE SAVED!
Genesis 3:24 King James Version (KJV)
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
The Cherubims didn’t stop us from the tree of life, but instead directed us to Jesus the Christ first. Before the beginning of time as stated below.
“And the testament didn’t take effect until the death of the testator”
Your missing the point that through Jesus we have fulfilled the OT/NT we were forgiven before time ever began, Past, Present, and forever MORE!
1 Peter 1:20 King James Version (KJV)
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
To answer the rest of you comments water baptism is symbolic of the death and resurrection, but by the Spirit when we accepted Jesus we died to ourselves(Galatians 2:20).
Only God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the one being saved will know that or feel it. Then the Testemony will be then made public by water baptism.