Baptism and Regeneration

Having dealt a blow to the catholic idea of baptism by desire and wedged in salvation by Grace through faith. (A while ago.)I have hopefully said that salvation follows the grace not the outward act.

I shall also show that the act of baptism is a type/sign of sanctification and salvation; not what saves. It brings us to what scripture says particularly in Romans 6 and in 1 Peter 3.

6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self [1] was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free [2] from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

The link to baptism with God's redemptive plan cannot be over looked. Nor can God's work at causing obedience cannot be overlooked. Yet, Paul leaves little room for such a link not to be present in baptism. The question becomes what is this link.
Paul says also elsewhere: "As many of you as have been baptised in christ have put on christ."(Gal 3:27) This clearly states the numbers between obedient to teaching from the heart and baptized are equal.

To hold that water baptismal regeneration happens, one must also hold that it always does and achieves the result of putting on Chirst. The aorist verb for "put on" is indicative without respect to time. Meaning it has indeed happened or is happening. Yet, the continuance of baptism and newness of life that are also seen in Romans 6. The charge of water baptism being rejectable cannot be sustained from the discussion of ongoing nature in sanctification. It is guaranteed because of the perserverance of the saints and God who both wills and works in sanctification.

Since there is no escape left for "As many of you as have been baptised have put on christ" " One counter example destroys the argument. This is to say that the grace of baptism must always attend water baptism. I can say from personal experience that it does not always attend a person being thrown underwater or sprinkled as a child or an adult. It rather attends itself than externals.

Let us consider colossians 2:12 "11In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. "

Circumcision done without hands. It is not done by a person or a substance/tool in a person's hand. It is done by christ as is stated in the verse. It puts off the body of the flesh. This circumcision is what is ascribed to this baptism. Not of water but of Blood. It is from the application of Christ's blood. This baptism is seen as putting off the flesh and putting on Christ. This is confirmed in verse 12 as being from God not man. It is the grace of baptism in which one is raised through faith in the powerful working of God. This is while being dead in transgressions and in uncircumcision. This is faith not the works done by us in righteousness.

Christ's grace in baptism is the lavar of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. It is confirmed in Titus 3:5. "he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit." Since Water baptism follows under works done by us in righteousness. It cannot save. This washing of regeneration is nothing but atonement by the sprinkling of his blood at conversion. It is a rightly a baptism but it is of another type. Lets move on to 1 peter