Baptism relating to the Covenant:

A further demonstration that baptism is for those who are already righteous before God is as follows.

In the Old Testament everyone in the nation of Israel was subject to the Covenant. This included many people that did not rely on God. All that was required to be included in that covenant was to be a descendant or servant of Abraham. For example, all males were circumcised including Esau who, according to the book of Hebrews, was a profane and ungodly man. The Pharisees in Jesus’ time were ungodly men.

According to Genesis chapter seventeen, no male child born as a descendant of Abraham and no male slave was allowed to go uncircumcised. It was a requirement for them all. That is the reason why they, in the Old Testament, were affected with curses when they failed to live up to God’s standards. God had a right to inflict penalties on those who were in the agreement and had broken any part of the agreement. (In light of the New Testament, we are not penalized according to those curses because Christ, as our Substitute, lived the perfect life and fulfilled all of the requirements for us and took the penalty for our failure.)

In the New Testament, only those who rely on God are in the Covenant. Any who do not believe and rely on The Anointed One, The Messiah, The Christ, are not in the Covenant. Many counterfeits, even in the churches, are not really in the covenant. Non-believers, are not required to be baptized. On this point I think most Christians agree. This fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah concerning the New Covenant that God will make to replace the old one, in which He will write His laws upon the hearts of those who are in the Covenant. (see Jeremiah 31:31-34).