Does baptism save? NO!

Jesus was baptized, but then something interesting happened. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him as a dove. The disciples were baptized by the Holy Spirit and with fire. In the Old Testament people were baptized, as well as the new. The new testament is Jesus, the living Word. The first judgement of God upon the earth was when He flooded the whole earth, with water. The second judgement to come is going to be fire. Many in traditional churches believe it is necessary to be baptized in order to receive salvation, and that grace, or the cross, or His blood isn't enough. Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Baptism can't save you, but Christ can. I believe we should be baptized, but I do not believe, as some do, that it alone can save us. Using the above verse, this discussion reminds me of circumcision verses non circumcision. Jesus, Paul and Stephen all told the religious leaders, "You uncircumcised of heart..." The Jewish leaders at the time of Jesus had instituted over 300 additional commands after The Lord gave Moses the law. The Jews taught that unless you were circumcised you could not go to heaven. Just like the Pharisee in us, we want to put additional commands on His Holy Church today, that keeps them from salvation, unless we do all the right things, according to man, or even according to man's interoperation of scripture. Our salvation is not gained by our works, but by grace. If we think something we do will gain us, or our children, entry into heaven, then we believe we are saved by works. There are a few scriptures that tell us about being baptized by His Holy Spirit, which can happen at the time of baptism, before it, or after it. In the case of Jesus listed above, it was after. In the case of the first filling of the Sprit, in Acts 4, it was before. It is a separate filling that Jesus desires for us. If we are not filled with the Spirit, as Jesus promised that He would send, how can we go out, unless we are "filled"? Acts 1:8 "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." It is not us, it is Him. We don't have the power or ability to save ourselves or anyone else, that is to Christ alone be the glory, forever and ever, Amen!