What does the picture of baptism show?
The Book of Romans helps you to understand that when you are baptized, you show a picture of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. It says in Romans 6:3-6, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? (4) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
Baptism is a living picture. When you stand before a public congregation and profess that you have trusted in Christ alone for our salvation, you are identifying that that your old man and the sin nature has been nailed to the Cross with Jesus. Then, when you go under the water, you are picturing His burial. Coming up out of the water, you picture his Resurrection, and show that you now have the freedom to walk in newness of life.
Baptism is simply a picture. In no way is it a part of your salvation, because works of any kind cannot save you. Titus 3:5 very clearly states this: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us….”
One of thieves who was crucified next to Christ got saved while hanging on a cross. He did not have a way to get down off the cross to be baptized or do any other good deeds, yet Jesus said to him in Luke 23:43b, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” If baptism were anything but a picture, the dying thief would have been unsavable, and Jesus could not have given him assurance of his salvation.