Acts 2:38 says:
"Repent," Peter said to them, "and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Some believe that we are saved by water baptism. This is not the case. Baptism is a symbol of our commitment to God. It is a public proclamation of our salvation. 1 Peter 3:16 says:
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2: 8,9). Yet we are commanded to be baptized in Acts 2:38. We should obey this, but not confuse the process of salvation and sanctification. Ephesians 2: 8,9 tells us:
For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift-not from works, so that no one can boast.
When we repent of our sins, we die to ourselves. What do you do with a dead man? You bury him. We are buried with Christ through water baptism which represents Christ's burial in the tomb, and we come out of the water a new creature. That is how we appropriate that salvation by grace through faith.
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