Do you have to be baptized to be saved?

Baptism itself does not save; rather, it is a public declaration of faith and a reflection of the believer's union with Christ. The example of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:42-43) demonstrates that salvation is based solely on faith in Jesus Christ and not on the act of baptism. Hebrews 6:2 emphasizes that while baptism is significant, it does not replace the necessity of true belief in Christ. Salvation comes entirely from being united with Christ in His redemptive work, not from the ritual of baptism alone.