I find that baptism is often misinterpreted in light of baptism being a requirement in many churches for conversion to Christianity. Some 130 posts ago I mentioned that baptism originated in the Jewish ritual of Mikveh, a ritual bath used in cases where individuals converted to Judaism. Baptism is supposed to be a spiritually cathartic process. A person not baptized is tainted with Adam's original sin. Once baptized the person becomes cleansed of that sin by the power that Jesus has to save humanity. This is in line with Paul's view of Jesus as the giver of life, as opposed to Adam who condemned humanity to death by his original sin.

A good example would be to contrast two cases:

1. A person is baptized as a child, but later rejects Jesus Christ as the savior.
2. A person was never baptized, but that person accepts Jesus Christ as the savior.

Who will be saved by Jesus? Only that person who accepts Jesus as the savior. Baptism alone is not enough, and it is not a requirement in light of true faith in God. It is true faith that saves. Baptism is an extension of that faith, but it is not the faith itself.