Does Baptism now save us?

Is Baptismal regeneration true or is Baptism a symbolic thing we do to show that we are saved and not a cause of our salvation? Well lets look at a few biblical passages as the Word of God is our foundation of Theology:

1. Titus 3:5 “He saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit…”
2. Acts 2:38 “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
3. 1 Peter 3:21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience
4. Mark 16:16 “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
5. John 3:5 “Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’”
6. Acts 22:16 “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.”

7. Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

8. Romans 6:3-4 “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

From the passages above it is clear that Baptism washes away sins, saves us and brings us to newness of life through Christ Jesus our Lord. If you interpret these passages to mean something simply symbolic then I would argue you that you are not getting your theology from scripture but you are bringing your own prior commitments to scripture and interpreting the passages in such a way that they align with your prior commitments instead of letting the scriptures opinion of Baptism be your prior commitment.

Church History

The church fathers of different traditions disagree quiet often on a number of issues and saying that the church fathers unanimously agreed on a certain issue through the millennia is almost impossible however, Baptismal regeneration has been viewed as the only view that all the Church fathers from every tradition and and schism unanimously agreed on. Baptismal regeneration is universal from the Apostolic period till the late medieval period(33-1500). Not one father whose writings we have did not hold to Baptismal efficacy. Now you might think that surely the Church was always wrong till the reformers found out the true meaning of scripture. Well, you will be surprised to know that the Magisterial Protestants(Anglicans, Reformed, Lutheran) also held to the position that Baptism saved as taught by Martin Luther and John Calvin. So if you still interpret those passages to be simply symbolic, your view is quite new in the church.

Baptismal Regeneration and Sola fide 

The most common objection to Baptismal regeneration is "But we are saved by faith alone". I would like to point out that the men that pioneered "Sola fide" did not think it contradicted Baptismal regeneration. To understand this we need to understand the means of Grace: "Word and Sacrament" in the Lutheran tradition. We maintain that we are justified by faith alone however the Bible speaks of Salvation as past, present and future reality for the Christian. The question is how is that Justification brought to us through faith? Through hearing the Word of God the Holy spirit works faith in our hearts to believe that Word and this is the same with Sacraments; (Baptism and the Lord's supper) that faith (which alone saves) is strengthened and given in the sacraments and the Word of God. Baptism is not a work of man but a work that God does in man. So no Baptism is not a work anymore than hearing the Word of God that caused you to believe and have faith was a work. Baptism is a passive act and God is active because God has attached a promise of the forgiveness of sins in that water such that it is not the water that saves but God's promise through his Word that saves us. In summary you are saved by faith alone the question is how is that faith which saves given to you? Through the Word and Sacrament. Hence why the Thief on the cross was saved through the hearing and reception of the Word apart from Baptism, however had he continued to live he would have been baptized as well as a further giving of God's grace. You also tend to hear that people who say that baptism is symbolic would also say that if one refuses to be baptized they are not truly saved, it is these people who make baptism a human work required for salvation instead of a work from God that is required for salvation.

"When therefore they are baptized who have already been regenerated through the Word, as seed, they have no need of regeneration through baptism, but in them baptism is a confirmation and sealing of regeneration " - Johann Gerhard (Lutheran theologian)

Nature of Sacraments

A sacrament is a physical means that God uses to work a spiritual reality. The tree of Life in the Garden of Eden was the tree that Adam and Eve would have ate from to have eternal life. This was the first sacrament, we can all agree that the one who gave Adam and Eve immortality was God but God tied that immortality through the physical act of eating from the tree. In such a way that saying the tree of Life gave Adam and Eve eternal life without contradicting that God was the one who caused that eternal life. Genesis 3 22: Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” God gives sacraments so that us humans who are physical beings can have a physical assurance of our spiritual reality.