The Bible makes it clear in many passages of scripture that man is saved through
belief/faith - "apart from additions or modifications." (John 1:12; 3:15,16,18,36; 5:24; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26; Acts 10:43; 13:39; 15:7-9; 16:31; 26:18; Romans 1:16; 3:24-28; 4:5-6; 5:1-2; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Galatians 2:16; 3:6-14, 26; Ephesians 2:8,9; Philippians 3:9; 2 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 10:39; 1 John 5:13 etc..).
Now we don't need to add the word "alone" next to "belief/faith" in each of these passages of scripture in order to figure out that the words,
belief/faith - "stand alone in connection with receiving eternal life/salvation." Hence, FAITH ALONE. Do these many passages of scripture say belief/faith "plus something else?" Plus, baptism? Plus, works? NO. So, then it's
faith (rightly understood) in Christ alone.
*Not to be confused with an
empty profession of faith/dead faith that remains "alone" -
barren of works. (James 2:14-24)
Galatians 3:26 -
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Period.) Not through faith
and water baptism. Also read
John 1:12 - But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become
children of God, to those who
believe in His name. *Received Him, given the right to become children of God, through believing in His name, not through water baptism.
Galatians 3:27 - For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have
put on/clothed yourself with Christ. The Greek word for
"put on" is
"enduo" and means to enclose oneself in, as when one "puts on" clothes or armor or some other item. Involved in this is the idea of "imitation" and "identification." Just as
1 Corinthians 10:2 says that all (the Israelites) were "baptized into Moses" in the cloud and in the sea, but this does not mean that the Israelites were literally water baptized into the body of Moses.
The allusion is to putting off old clothes and putting on new ones, to enclosing oneself in armor, etc. When a soldier puts on armor he is imitating his superiors and trainers, is revealing himself to be a soldier. One does not put on a uniform in order to become a soldier. Simply putting on a soldier's uniform does not make one become a soldier. Once one is made a soldier one is then able to put on and wear the uniform that distinguishes or marks them as a soldier.
It's the same with putting on a judge's robe. Simply putting on a robe in of itself, does not make anyone become a judge, but one who has been made a judge is qualified to put on judicial robes and thus declare their qualifications. This is signified in water baptism, but the reality is found in Spirit baptism.
So too with being water baptized, the Christian puts on robes for which they has previously been qualified to wear. The putting on of Christ is not what makes one become a Christian, but one which becomes a token of it, as in
Romans 13:14.
*If one sets out to put on the clothes of a Christian, in water baptism,
without first becoming a Christian (child of God through faith), then one becomes an imposter, and is declaring, in baptism, to be what they are not.