No, you do not need to be water baptized.

Water baptism is not required for salvation, for receiving the Holy Spirit, or for membership in the Church, the Body of Christ, in this present dispensation of the grace of God.

The Apostle Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles to whom the Mystery was revealed (Eph. 3:1-9), plainly stated, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel…” (1 Cor. 1:17).

If water baptism were necessary today, Paul could never have made this statement or thanked God that he had baptized so few at Corinth (1 Cor. 1:14-16). His God-given priority was the gospel of the grace of God: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (1 Cor. 15:1-4).

Today, there is “one baptism” (Eph. 4:4-5), and it is the spiritual baptism performed by the Holy Spirit the moment a person trusts Christ as Savior. This baptism places every believer into the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27; Col. 2:12). There is no water in this baptism because it is done by the Holy Spirit and is not a ritual performed by man.

Water baptism was part of Israel’s prophetic/kingdom program—a sign of repentance, identification with the Messiah, and preparation for the earthly kingdom that was offered to the nation (Matt. 3:6-11; Mk. 1:4; Jn. 1:31; Acts 2:38). It was practiced during the transitional period in the Book of Acts while God was still dealing primarily with Israel.

Once the ascended Lord revealed the Mystery to Paul (the formation of the Body of Christ, made up of Jew and Gentile alike by pure grace), the pattern for this age changed. We are not under law, but under grace (Rom. 6:14). Believers today are complete in Christ (Col. 2:10) the instant they trust Him. Nothing—including water baptism—can be added to that completeness.

What this means for us today:

– Salvation is by grace through faith alone (Rom. 4:5; Eph. 2:8-9). No religious ceremony or work is required.

– If you have already been water baptized in the past, there is no need to be re-baptized or to feel any condemnation. It simply has no saving or sanctifying power in this dispensation.

– Our identification with Christ is positional: We are already buried and raised with Him spiritually (Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:12).

This truth brings wonderful liberty and clarity. We encourage you to study these things for yourself, rightly dividing the Word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15), and to rest fully in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

See also:
To Be Or Not To Be Baptized
A Brief Commentary on a Commentary
One Distinct Baptism (Episode 310 of TBG)
One Unifying Baptism (Episode 311 of TBG)