According To The Scriptures:
Baptism Is Not Essential To Salvation
 
"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8).
 
 
Is baptism a gift of God?
 
Notice the phrase, "not of yourselves" (Eph. 2:8). Faith comes by hearing (Rom. 10:17). Grace means "undeserved kindness" or "unmerited favor" -- thus, a free gift. However, baptism requires much of ourselves (finding enough water for immersion, someone to immerse the candidate for baptism, etc.) -- not a gift but of ourselves.
 
Why was Jesus baptized? He had no sins to wash away (Matt. 3:16-17). 

If baptism is essential to salvation, why would John refuse to use an essential part of salvation's requirements on the Pharisees and Sadducees -- the very thing he was sent to do (Matt. 3:7)? "The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe" (John 1:7). 

Why would Paul say, under the leadership of the Holy Ghost, "For Christ sent me NOT to baptize, but to preach the gospel" (I Cor. 1:17)? Because baptism is NOT a part of the gospel that will save. If baptism is essential to salvation, why would Paul thank God that he did not help people to get saved? "I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius" (I Cor. 1:14). Every scripture used to teach baptism is essential to salvation must be taken out of context. 

Scriptures that teach the believer is saved before baptism include: "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" (I John 5:1). Jesus said, "He that believeth on him is (present tense) not condemned" (John 3:18). "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:43). We who believe that a believer is saved before baptism are in agreement with Jesus and all the prophets! 

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). A believer is saved; likewise, a baptized believer is saved -- but is a believer condemned until baptized?
 
Before baptism, according to the Scriptures, a believer is born of God (I John 5:1); is not condemned (John 3:18); hath everlasting life (John 6:47); shall not come into condemnation (John 5:24); shall never perish (John 10:28); has accepted the gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16).
 
Baptism -- or the lack of baptism -- does not change these facts. To teach that a believer is condemned until or unless baptized is pure heresy and cannot be read from the Bible.