soterion I deleted the post about Jesus and sin as I was wrong in the way I said it and I thank you for pointing this out to me. I went deeper into the word and this is what I found as to why Jesus had to be baptized through Johns baptism. It was for the fulfillment of righteousness that Jesus was water baptized as Jesus had to prepare himself for the ministry and to be made a sacrifice for righteousness for everyone who believes and calls on His name. 


Mat 3:14  But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Mat 3:15  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

Another reason why Jesus had to be baptized is found in John 1:29-34.  John was sent to baptize so that He who is the Messiah may be made manifest.

by bro.tan,
Not exactly. I died to the O.T. law.
Romans 3:9, 19- 29
All Have Sinned
   
9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.God’s Righteousness Through Faith
   
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Boasting Excluded
   
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
29 Or is He the God of the Jews only?


The Power is in the Blood.

I quoted from reply #13. But my vote goes to larry2 for post #4.

I'm so not trying to interrupt the fundamentalism with the Baptism thing. But what the hay... Christ was baptized in the flesh means He fulfilled all righteousness of the law. It pleased God. We are buried in baptism means we identify with his death. I've yet to read He was buried in "water"
Oh did i mention i liked larry2's answer to the O.P.? Which (besides yours) do you like best?

I have rewritten everything I have said on this topic and I hope it explains what putting on Christ is and what baptism truly means. It's somewhat lengthy, but explains with scripture everything I have said and also corrected.

BAPTISM

We put on Jesus by the renewal of our mind, body and soul through Jesus life, death and resurrection by which we can reconcile ourselves back to Gods grace and mercy through His Salvation of renewal and rebirth of spirit. We now have the mind of Christ as joint heirs with Jesus as we walk in the path of Jesus and not our own path anymore.

John 3:3-21 except a man be born again of water and Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Vs.6 that which is born of the Flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Flesh cannot perceive the things of the Spirit and is enmity against God, Romans 8:6, 7.

Sin separates us from God because God is a spirit and can only recognize his own children by what spirit is living in their hearts. We have to renew, rebirth - born again, Gods Spirit within us in order to be called a child of God and see the kingdom of heaven. We now put off the old man (flesh) and put on the new man (Spirit), Colossians 3:1-17. We are renewed by the word of God and through the Holy Spirit teaching us of all things, John 14:26.

Acts 2:38,39 When we repent of our sins and ask Jesus into our hearts we are also receiving the promise of God that his Spirit will come and dwell in our hearts and teach us of all things we need to learn, John 14:26. The baptism that Peter was talking about in Acts 2:38 was a Spiritual rebirth through the word of God. Some people think it is being dunked or sprinkled with water the way John the Baptist did and there is nothing wrong with that for it is an outward appearance to man that you have received Jesus and the Holy Spirit into your life, Matthew 3:11, but Jesus himself never baptized with water for the baptism of Jesus was for receiving the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) that helps us to know the will of the Father, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12.

There is nothing wrong with immersion in water as this is an outward appearance to others that you have received Gods Salvation and the Holy Spirit. When the Disciples where in the upper room they all received the Holy Spirit, not by immersion of water, but by Gods Spirit falling on them. What about those people who can not be immersed in water that is incapacitated. Peter did not say that it was through water that we receive the Holy Spirit in Acts 10:47, 48 he was saying that others should not forbid anyone who wants to be immersed in water, but repentance must come first and at the same time of repenting we also receive the Holy Spirit according to Acts 2:38,39.

This is from the Jerusalem Bible:
John 4:1 When Jesus heard that the Pharisees had found out that he was making and baptizing more disciples than John though in fact it was his disciples who baptized, not Jesus himself he left Judaea and went back to Galilee.

Johns baptism was for repentance, not for the receiving of the Holy Spirit as no one even knew anything of a Holy Spirit until Jesus taught them that another comforter would come down and the Holy Spirit was given on the day of Pentecost in the upper room. When Jesus was baptized of John is was to fulfill righteousness as what we all do through water baptism as an outward appearance to others that you have been made righteous through Christ.
Mat 3:14 But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Mat 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

Mark 10:39; 16:15,16; Acts 2:38 It is Gods Spirit that was in Christ and which we are now baptized or have received as the disciples did on the day of Pentecost as when Jesus ascended into Heaven the Holy Spirit came down and fell on those who received Jesus and his word. The baptism that Jesus and Peter was talking about was a Spiritual rebirth through Gods word, not water, Luke 3:16, as Peter taught it was through repentance and accepting Jesus and his teachings is when we receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:36-38 we have to believe first and through confession we are given the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:44-48 The Holy Spirit already fell on the disciples while they were listening to Peter. (No water involved)
Acts 19:1-7 Johns baptism was for repentance and the Holy Spirit was not received nor even heard of yet until the day in the upper room that Jesus was raised up to Heaven and the Holy Spirit fell down on all of them in that room. John baptized with water unto repentance but only as a sing of it.

John 14:16, 17 Jesus is telling his disciples that he will not leave them, but will send the Holy Spirit to comfort them and teach them. Jesus himself did not baptize with water, but with the Spirit and Christian baptism was only instituted after the resurrection when the Lord gave the commission to his apostles to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, Matthew 28:19,20.

Acts 2:38 and Acts 10:47,48 are both talking about water, but not for the remission of sins, but and afterward appearance of acknowledgement. We are given the Holy Spirit at the same time of repentance and has nothing to do with water baptism as I have stated that water baptism is an outward appearance to others that you have already confessed and believed and received the Holy Spirit.

This is what Smith's Bible dictionary says:
To be baptized for Christ shows an intention to become a true follower of Christ. John baptized with water unto repentance but as a sign of it, perhaps only a sign of their willingness to enroll themselves among John’s followers. Jesus himself did not baptize with water, but with the Spirit and Christian baptism was only instituted after the resurrection when the Lord gave the commission to his apostles to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Act 10:47  Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
This verse shows that these men had already received the Holy Spirit, but wanted to be baptized in water also as followers of Christ. So I believe both verses in Acts to be water, but not for the receiving of the Holy Spirit, but an outward appearance to others that they have repented and received the Holy Spirit already.
 
Mat 3:14 But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Mat 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

soterion I took out the part about water meaning word as I have to ask my Pastor how to explain it again and I do not want to cause confusion by this. Per your question about finding any person in the NT who was saved by asking Jesus into their heart is found in John 1:14; 10:9 and Romans 10:9,10 for it is not by water but by confessing and believing. I have pretty much showed in what I posted that water baptism is done only after remission and belief and is an outward appearance to others. I've never seen any river water in the NT that has saved anyone as it was an act done after repentance. I have researched the word baptism through Strong's concordance many times in the past with the scriptures and have never found anywhere where it is the water that saves us. Everything else in my post is pretty much explanatory.

The Bible says,

Mar 1:4  John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Luk 3:3  And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

So even the baptism of John the Baptist was for the forgiveness of sins.  Could baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ be any less?  I don't think so.  So then what is the difference?  Acts 2:38 says what the difference is.  It says it is  "..... for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Debbie_55,

If the Holy Spirit is teaching you, then why do you need anything else?

Also, if the Holy Spirit is teaching you, then how could you possibly come to the conclusion that baptism is not what the Bible says it is for?  The Bible was inspired by the Spirit and it says that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins.  Yet, you say that baptism is not for the forgiveness of sins and you claim that is from the Spirit teaching you.

Here is what I see is going on.  Either the Holy Spirit is teaching you contrary to what He says in the Scriptures, or you are mistaken.

Which do you think it is?