I'll expect if someone who doesn't believe gets baptized all that will happen is they get wet. Because its grace through "Faith" that we are saved.
OK C, here are two verses stating that baptism is necessary:
Matthew 28:19
18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Another verse where Jesus gives this command is:
Mark 16:16
16“He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
The first one Is speaking of immersing them in reality. Through teaching them to do all that He commanded.
Recall this passage:
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
The second one, one may take into account that this was customary
to the culture of the day. So example if a school teacher gives a sticker to those students who behaved. And she says those who behaved and got stickers may go to recess first, but those who didnt behave will go late. Plus the latter part never says those who are not baptized in water are not saved but those who did not believe.
Now when we symbolically get baptized we are making a committment to follow, And my reason would be I know He is the way to meaningful life and of abundance so I am committing myself under His rule and giving up my life by dying to the flesh.
I believe that if you truly believe that at the time of baptism unless God had already forgiven your sin, then God will show up. And some may even speak in tongues..For my spouse who has never been baptized when He made a decision to follow the scriptures open up to Him.
I also see water Baptism as a sign to the world that shows what is taking place on the inside.
And it's away we enter community relations with Jesus as the head. LIKE THE BOY SCOUT PLEDGE.
I do believe God can use any occasion as baptism to make Himself known. But it's not the water its God that saves.
And in this case He used the occasion of baptism of what was practiced in that time.
If we go back to the Law when one was made clean they were to go to the priest and the priest would present a sacrifice. Like in the leper. It was definitely a process! But the priest had to show Him as clean before He could enter the community. The other day I believe God gave me this revelation. WHAT I JUST WROTE TGAT IS.
Recall this was outward. Right (lepORSYy)
As I think I discussed earlier, and I could be wrong,
Belief in Jesus with the intent to follow is How we receive the Spirit. So as Ephesians 2, 4-9 states we were saved by being dead in trespasses and sin but quicken together with Christ.
So here you believed the word and received the Spirit. (Saved from being dead tresspass and sin) Now this is my thought-
Can a dead person seek God with the right Spirit until He is given the Spirit and made alive..My thought right now is no.
So when one believes they are given a new heart, but now what about the outside? Remember the leper, If I racall correctly He also had an outward washing. But look at this passage:
Then Jesus said to him, “Don't tell anyone about this. Instead,
go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”
So at Baptism I believe we now are the Sacrifice or offering symbolically in the sense figuratively we are mimicking Christ.
But these are my thoughts until I learn more to confirm.
When Jesus was Baptized the Heavens opened God confirms His son so what should have taken place possibly for any one with true Faith at their Baptism is more likely the pouring out of His Spirit. But these are things I still need to look into. For God confirmed Jesus with the doves too and His words.
But look who He pours out His Spirit on:
Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out My Spirit upon
all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
Adding but read acts the holy Spirit fell on those who heard the message. All types of flesh like poor, homeless gentiles..etc
Correct me where Im wrong