Or . . . maybe you've just injected a healthy dose of legalism into your faith.Of course, if you gamble that in John 3:5, "water" is speaking of amniotic fluid, and end up being wrong, you lose everything.
If on the other hand, you believe that it is speaking of baptism, and obey the sacrament because of that belief, and it turns out to be true, you have gained everything; and if it turns out not to be true, you have lost nothing.
I do not believe in the doctrine of baptismal regeneration. We are saved by grace through faith. Romans tells us it "has to be" by faith, so that salvation can be for everyone.
Myself, I'm not really wanting to form a faith around "I'll just keep the Law** in case I have to".
** Law here is referring to whatever list of requirements that must be performed to be right with God. We don't perform anything, we trust completely in Jesus' performance.
"That the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled IN us", not "through us".
Much love!