I have many times, I spent much my life struggling with the baptism question.
I accepted the Berean challenge and searched the scripturas.
They must reconcile to each other and be consistent. The only way to make baptism a required element of salvation is to read scripture in a vacuum and to put man before G-d.
Again, I ask you, how did the thief go to paradise? he was not baptized.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus SPECIFICALLY mentioned baptism of water and the Holy Spirit. However, all of those baby boys who were slaughtered by Herod’s decree were not baptized. Does that mean they were not saved? Of course not. Those babies had nobody to present them for baptism because they were murdered. And the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Innocents a few days after Christmas. The Catholic Church recognizes baptism of water, baptism of desire, and baptism of blood. Those babies murdered by Herod received “baptism of blood.” They spilled their blood, which made them martyrs. The thief on the cross was covered by “baptism of desire,” because he asked Jesus for forgiveness. There was no way Jesus or the thief were in a position to come down from their crosses to participate in a baptism.