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Now you're misrepresenting me, my friend. I hope that was unintentional.

The reason I want you to understand about baptism is so that you can obtain the gift of salvation. Baptism isn't a way to "earn salvation" or "deserve forgiveness". It is the way Jesus set in place for us to receive the gift He wants to give us.

It is where the slave of sin, the "old man", is put to death, and we are freed from that bondage to live a new life (Rom. 6). It is where Jesus performs the operation which circumcises our hearts:

"in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead." - Col. 2:11-12

This operation is not one we perform on ourselves. What would you think if somebody told you, "I fixed my own heart problem!" and then you found out all he did was change into the hospital gown and lie on the operating table while surgeons and assistants performed the open-heart surgery?

Well that's what we do - we allow Jesus to perform the operation while we merely submit ourselves into His hands in baptism. Is that anything to boast about? "We DESERVE salvation now! We did WORKS to earn it!" We'd sound silly saying such a thing, wouldn't we?

>>The reason I want you to understand about baptism is so that you can obtain the gift of salvation.<<

I don't care how many words you try to use. If man has to acquire salvation by performing an act he is earning it. I will simply repeat. Good luck convincing Christ that were baptised so deserve forgiveness and salvation. After all, you did your part right?

Baptism isn't a way to "earn salvation" or "deserve forgiveness". It is the way Jesus set in place for us to receive the gift He wants to give us.

Except that Paul says in Ephesians that it's by grace through faith in Christ.

No mention of baptism there.

Paul also states that God did not send him to baptize but to preach the gospel. If salvation does not come except through baptism, then was Paul preaching an incompletely message?

Or was he preaching the gospel at all?

Why would he be remiss and mislead people about salvation by not including it if it was so necessary?