Only Christ's blood saves- which you get through faith not by faith. If faith saved then Christ's blood would not be needed. No, it is through faith, not by faith- there is a difference.
As in Colossians 1:14, "through His blood" is a reference not limited to the fluid as if the blood has saving properties in it's chemistry and we literally contact it in the waters of baptism, but is an expression pointing to the totality of Christ's atoning work as a sacrifice for sin. The word "cross" is also used similarly to refer to the whole atoning work of Christ on the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18; Galatians 6:12,14; Ephesians 2:16).
It's the blood of Christ/totality of Christ's atoning work as a sacrifice for sin/Christ's finished work of redemption/death, burial and resurrection of Christ that is the actual means of our salvation and faith is the instrumental means by which we receive salvation.
Through faith and
by faith are used interchangeably in Scripture and the
end result is the same:
Romans 3:28 - Therefore we conclude that a man is
justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
Romans 3:30 - since there is one God who will
justify the circumcised
by faith and the uncircumcised
through faith.
Romans 5:1 - Therefore, having been
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 2:16 - knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but
by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be
justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
Ephesians 2:8 - For by grace you have been
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.
2 Timothy 3:15 - and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
There is only one way the bible says (not what you say, but what the bible says) that we get into Christ, we are baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3).
1 Corinthians 12:13 - For by
one Spirit we were all baptized
into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to
drink into one Spirit.
Acts 11:16 - Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said,
'John indeed baptized with water, BUT you shall be
baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17 - If therefore God gave them the
same gift (Holy Spirit) as He gave us
when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?" This was
BEFORE water baptism - Acts 10:43-47. *Crystal clear for those who have eyes to see.
Ephesians 1:13 - In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise. *THIS IS WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS.
In regards to Romans 6:3-4, Greek scholar AT Robertson explains - Baptism is the public
proclamation of one's inward spiritual relation to Christ attained before the baptism. See on "Galatians 3:27" where it is like putting on an outward garment or uniform. Into his death (ei ton qanaton autou). So here "unto his death," "in relation to his death," which relation Paul proceeds to
explain by the symbolism of the ordinance. The
picture in baptism points two ways, backwards to Christ's death and burial and to our death to sin, forward to Christ's resurrection from the dead and to our new life pledged by the coming out of the watery grave to walk on the other side of the baptismal grave. There is the further
picture of our own resurrection from the grave.
*It is a tragedy that Paul's majestic picture here has been so blurred by controversy that some refuse to see it. It should be said also that
a symbol is not the reality, but the picture of the reality.
https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/robertsons-word-pictures/romans/romans-6-3.html
https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/robertsons-word-pictures/romans/romans-6-4.html
When they were baptized with the Holy Spirit it was to receive power to speak in tongues.
"In addition" to receiving
the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:45-47; 11:16-17) these Gentiles received
the spiritual gift of tongues (which is ONLY for the body of Christ - 1 Corinthians 12). The baptism of the Holy Spirit had previously been prophesied and it was not merely to give believers the power to speak in tongues. Quit trying to explain away the obvious truth.
Mark 1:8 - I baptized you with water; but He will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 1:5 - for John baptized with water, but you will be
baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.
Acts 11:16 - And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be
baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ *Water baptism and Spirit baptism are clearly TWO DISTINCT BAPTISMS.
This is not the gospel that saves. The gospel is obeying the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ by water baptism.
Salvation by water baptism is not the gospel that saves but is a "different" gospel. The gospel that saves is the "good news" of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and is the
power of God unto salvation to everyone that
BELIEVES.. (Romans 1:16). *Nothing there about water baptism. To obey the gospel is to BELIEVE the gospel by choosing to
trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as the ALL-sufficient means of our salvation. *Not to trust in water baptism and other works as the means of our salvation, which is a perversion of the gospel and renders Christ an IN-sufficient Savior.
Romans 6 specifically says 'like this' referring to baptism. It does not say we will join Him in His resurrection if we receive power from the Holy Spirit to speak in tongues, but only if we are baptized.
Before mentioning baptism in chapter 6, Paul had repeatedly emphasized that
FAITH, not baptism is the
instrumental cause of salvation/justification (Romans 1:16, 3:22-30; 4:4-6, 13; 5:1). That is when the old man was put to death and united in the likeness of His death, which
water baptism symbolizes and pictures. Righteousness is "imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised up because of our justification" (Romans 4:24,25).
Since believers receive the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection (justification), and that through faith, believers must be spiritually united to Him (delivered and raised up with Him). If baptism is taken as the instrumental cause, then Paul contradicts what he had established before, namely that justification is by FAITH, not baptism. *Hermeneutics. Justification on account of union in Christ's death, burial and resurrection is brought about "through faith" - and is
properly symbolized by immersing the new believer in and out of the water.
"WITH FLAMES OF FIRE HE WILL TAKE VENGEANCE ON THOSE WHO KNOW NOT GOD AND WHO OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL OF HIS SON."
In Romans 10:16, we read - But they have not all
OBEYED the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has
BELIEVED our report?” *So we can clearly see that we
obey the gospel by
choosing to believe the gospel. Please prayerfully consider the truth.