Which you do when you are baptized....
Which means they're not the same thing. But it does shed a lot of light on Romans 10.
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
He's already explained in chapter six that Baptism is how we make contact with the blood of Christ (baptized into his death) and they were well aware that confession was typically made at one's baptism.
Baptism is not itself a confession nor is it an outward sign as circumcision was. When you dry off, nobody can tell you did it, unlike circumcision. That's why Paul called it the "new and living way," we approach Christ in the letter to the Hebrews, and the "circumcision not made with hands," in Colossians.
John tells us that the water testifies - proves - that we're of Christ.
7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood— and these three are in agreement.
These testify of Christ, who himself was baptized, not that he had sin, but that he was perfectly obedient to God's command which came through John the baptist. ("to fulfill all righteousness") But they also testify of us. In Ephesians Paul says that the Spirit seals us in chapter one. That word sealed is a perfect participle and indicates that this sealing, this marking for our redemption, is an ongoing completed event.
Ephesians 1
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
When were we sealed? After "having believed" and being baptized.
And then he references baptism in chapter 2 but many seem to miss it being in a hurry to get to verses 8 and 9, ignoring verse 10.
Ephesians 2
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works
Anyone in those days and who read Romans 6 would see that he's talking about our first resurrection there and saying explicitly that it saved us. Romans 6 is the classic text explaining exactly how a Christian is born again. The word baptism does not have to appear in the text for us to recognize that this is what he's talking about. And he is modifying the word works here with the phrase "not of yourselves." Since he's told them their baptism saved them and it was God's grace which made it effective, he's not, and could never be, excluding baptism as a work we must do for salvation.
Baptism is most definitely a work. But it isn't our work. There's no boasting in doing what God commanded us to do. This also is exactly what Jesus taught.
Luke 17
10 So you also, when you have done everything commanded of you, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Baptism is a work, as is belief, repentance, confession, the Lord's supper and loving our enemies. But it isn't a work we invented. We don't save ourselves by being baptized, but we are most definitely saved from our past sins when we are baptized. That's exactly why Peter says that baptism, "now saves us." Because it does.
But note too that it was not so big a deal to speak in terms of something one did to "save themselves." Even using sort of self-doing action language was an acceptable thing as long as one realized that it was God doing the work.
Ananias told this to Saul:
16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
He wasn't himself washing away his sins, but he was commanded to do the work which caused that to happen. And note, he's not saved from his past sins before this event, lest Ananias would not have spoken these words. He would have said something like this were the reformist view valid in the slightest:
"The Lord has already saved you and forgiven you of your sins. So now go get baptized as an outward sign that he's washed away your sins."
Doh! Nope. Not even close.
Paul used this opportunity to tell the audience to whom he was speaking when he retold the story of his conversion, that baptism was necessary and part of the gospel message. He could easily have left off this detail and it is really important to note that the apostles and the disciples, when preaching the gospel, never did leave off this detail. The only time we see apostles fail to command baptism is in Acts when Peter and John in the temple are arrested before they can give that command to the crowd.
It's a major theme of the new testament because it is a "fundamental element" of the gospel as Paul tells us in Hebrews and as anyone reading and paying attention to Mark 1: 1-4 can read for themselves. It was the "beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ."
To preach that it isn't important is one of the worst disservices offered by the Protestant rebellion. It leads people to believe that they can be "in Christ" without having been baptized.
3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
How many of us are in Christ? '
As many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus."
I realize that you claim it is necessary. I just pray you open your mind to the scriptures to realize just how necessary and important it is.
