Dodging the point are we?
So let me ask you pointedly: does physical water wash away sins? yes or no.
This mentality is why I refer to salvation as a "process".... there are too many people that want to nit-pick down to the "jot and tittle" about "when" a specific event happens... sounds pretty much like the Pharisees of old.
Scripture doesn't record each and every event that takes place, in each and every "conversion story"... so, if a person has an agenda to promote, they can pick the conversion story that fits their narrative and claim "this is all that is required!"
One story says, by faith they are saved.... another says they are saved through grace... other scriptures say baptism saves us....
To rightly divide the truth, we should take ALL scriptures that pertain to salvation and do what is taught.... and we should pay special attention to the verses that answer the question "what should we do to be saved?"
In order to be saved, there are several things that have to happen... a person first of all must hear the good news of Jesus (one of those 'duh' things, I know) You cannot believe if you don't know what he did for the world.
Then the person must believe the good news they heard... cannot be saved if you don't believe...
Then we get to the direct question "what must we do?" .... as Peter said, "repent and be baptized and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit"
All of this is
given to us, even though we don't deserve it... the chance to hear the gospel, and believe, and respond through a changing of direction in our lives, and the chance to go through the death of our old self, along with the resurrection to a new life in Christ through baptism... this is the grace of God.
Picking and choosing one thing to hang your salvation on, like a cafeteria plan, is not rightly dividing the word of God. It is all there, it just has to be read and understood. It is a process. When is a person saved? When they do all that is shown/taught us in the word. The gift of salvation is free... but it is a process.