1You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, 2in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience. 3We also all once lived among them in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; 8for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, that no one would boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.
11Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision” (in the flesh, made by hands), 12that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of separation, 15having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace, 16and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility through it. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. 18For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God, 20being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone; 21in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.
Baptists describe the act of baptism as “an outward sign of an inward faith”. But it is not the "outward sign", but the “inward faith” that is the part that is the agent by which a person receives the grace that God offers. The disciple John tells us in his gospel, “12 But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name:” (John 1:12). Scripture teaches us that it is in believing in Him that we have eternal life. However, baptism is the first of a lifelong series of “outward signs” that demonstrate that the belief was genuine and the faith is firm. Paul tells the church in Ephesus that we have been saved by grace through faith, but we are saved to do good works. “10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 WEB)
I believe Jesus’ words to the Pharisees further describe what is happening. He is telling them that they are hung up on outward signs, but they’ve had no fundamental transformation of the heart. They are fakes. God is indeed interested in how we walk out our faith, but we should never mistake walking it out for the faith itself. The Pharisees and Scribes were uptight that the disciples didn’t ritually wash their hands before they ate, yet these same people honored God only in lip service. They didn’t understand that works motivated by the desire to “be religious” were nothing more than wood, hay, and stubble. (1 Corinthians 3:12) They have no eternal value. Let us be careful to get things in the correct order. Talk is indeed cheap, but it doesn’t become real by just doing work that we think is good and righteous things to do. Real works of eternal value are born out of a heart that loves God, has trusted in Him, and has done them for His glory. Anything else is “honoring God with our lips while having our hearts far away from Him.”