How do we know that water baptism is not salvation?

Salvation is solely a work of God through Jesus Christ, and water baptism serves as a visible declaration of that inner belief. Our Lord Jesus did not need baptism for His own salvation but as an act of obedience to fulfill God's command. Romans 10 teaches that salvation comes through belief in the heart and confession through the mouth, not through the act of baptism itself. This understanding emphasizes that the true essence of salvation is rooted in faith in Christ alone, distinct from any ritual or ordinance.