What Baptism won't do:

[dwight92070]

With your belief, the problem remains (and you can't get around it), that salvation is not earned, you can't do any works to obtain it, except the "work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:29) This is the ONLY "work" that God accepts to be saved, not baptism, not circumcision, not any physical work. God honors and even commands good works after we're saved but He never accepts any works in order to be saved.
You constantly refer to faith as mental assent, but that's not the Bible definition. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Mental assent implies simple agreement, nothing more. Faith involves trusting in God's faithfulness to forgive our sins and in His goodness to reward us as we seek Him. Without it, we cannot please God. With it, we will please Him so much that He counts our hearts as being righteous - saved, born again.

 

[Doug Brents]

With your belief, the problem remains (and you can't get around it), that salvation is not earned, you can't do any works to obtain it, except the "work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:29)

Salvation cannot be earned. That is correct.
But listen to the message in this video:

man in plane "listen to my voice" - Google Suche

Each of us are piloting our own plane, and none of us can see where we are going, or what is around us until we run into it. Only the "man in the tower" (God) can see us, see what is around us, and navigate us to where we are meant to be. But we have to listen to His voice, and we have to obey His directions to get our plane on the ground (Heaven) safely. He said that repentance leads to receiving salvation, meaning we are headed for a wall, and if we don't turn around we are going to die. He said that confessing Him as Lord leads to receiving salvation, meaning we must admit that we cannot see where we are going and need Him to direct our maneuvers as we pilot our plane. And He said that baptism puts us into Him, into relationship with Him, meaning that we must submit to His seemingly ridiculous directions even though we cannot see how it affects our destination.

This is the ONLY "work" that God accepts to be saved, not baptism, not circumcision, not any physical work. God honors and even commands good works after we're saved but He never accepts any works in order to be saved.

That statement is in direct contradiction of Scripture (Rom 10:9-10). Confession of Jesus as Lord with the mouth LEADS TO salvation. It does not follow after, but results in our receiving salvation.

You constantly refer to faith as mental assent, but that's not the Bible definition. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

I contrast the common misconception that BELIEF is just intellectual (mental) assent. But faith is, as you say, much more than that. It is the substance and evidence, it requires action or it is dead. Faith, not belief, is the only "work", as you pointed out from John 6:29. But faith must include the actions that Jesus said lead to our receiving salvation, or we don't really have faith, we don't really believe, we haven't done the "work" that leads to receiving salvation.

Mental assent implies simple agreement, nothing more. Faith involves trusting in God's faithfulness to forgive our sins and in His goodness to reward us as we seek Him. Without it, we cannot please God. With it, we will please Him so much that He counts our hearts as being righteous - saved, born again.

Exactly. And that faith must include repentance (Acts 3:19), confession of Jesus as Lord (Rom 10:9-10), and baptism (Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, Matt 28:16, 1 Pet 3:21, Eph 5:25-27, Gal 3:27).

 

[Begotten]

“Those who accepted his message were baptized…” —Acts 2:41

The way I read Acts 2:41 is first you accept the gift of salvation then you get baptized.

Baptism is often described as an outward sign of an inward change. It is a public testimony that you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Your baptism powerfully proclaims what God has done, and is doing, in your life. In addition, as a follower of Jesus, you are publicly saying that you join with Christians from around the world who are unified by faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

 

[Doug Brents]

“Those who accepted his message were baptized…” —Acts 2:41

The way I read Acts 2:41 is first you accept the gift of salvation then you get baptized.

Baptism is often described as an outward sign of an inward change. It is a public testimony that you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Your baptism powerfully proclaims what God has done, and is doing, in your life. In addition, as a follower of Jesus, you are publicly saying that you join with Christians from around the world who are unified by faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Please show me in Scripture where anything even resembling "an outward sign of an inward change" is found. I have never found even that concept in Scripture.

Rom 6:1-7 is very clear that we die to sin and are resurrected during baptism by the action of the Holy Spirit. 1 Pet 3:21 makes it clear that it is during water baptism (like the Flood) that we are saved by the working of the Holy Spirit through the power of Jesus' blood. Mark 16:16 makes it clear that those who believe AND are baptized will be saved. Gal 3:26-27 makes it clear that those who have been baptized into Christ are the ones who are children of God and are clothed in Christ. Eph 5:26-27 makes it clear that it is in baptism that the bride of Christ (the Church) is washed clean and made perfect.

 

[Begotten]

Please show me in Scripture where anything even resembling "an outward sign of an inward change" is found. I have never found even that concept in Scripture.

Rom 6:1-7 is very clear that we die to sin and are resurrected during baptism by the action of the Holy Spirit. 1 Pet 3:21 makes it clear that it is during water baptism (like the Flood) that we are saved by the working of the Holy Spirit through the power of Jesus' blood. Mark 16:16 makes it clear that those who believe AND are baptized will be saved. Gal 3:26-27 makes it clear that those who have been baptized into Christ are the ones who are children of God and are clothed in Christ. Eph 5:26-27 makes it clear that it is in baptism that the bride of Christ (the Church) is washed clean and made perfect.

https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/he-that-believes-and-is-not-water-baptised-is-saved.1760/post-129639

 

[Doug Brents]

https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/he-that-believes-and-is-not-water-baptised-is-saved.1760/post-129639

That passage does not say anything about an "outward sign of an inward change". It says that the inward change is accomplished by the Holy Spirit during the outward action.

Where in Scripture does it say anything about baptism being an "outward sign of an inward change"?