Nobody places their faith in water... if thats what you got from this conversation you are mistaken.
And I hear you, and respect your opinions... but at the end of the day I have a boat load of scriptures that say baptism is for the remission of sin, and baptism now saves you, Ananias telling Paul to be baptized to wash away his sins ( after he already was believing in Christ! ) on and on and on... and when we leave the history of the scriptures and read the Church Fathers on the topic they continue the trend... in fact your point of view is completely absent from history until post reformation. Doesnt that give you pause ???
Water baptism and repentance are hand in hand.
Even the word "remission" (S.859) is dealing with the "release of one who was captive to", "letting go of", "deliverance from".
It indicates change and turning of ways.
This is a physical act, with a physical change, and is the manifestation of a spiritual reality.
The debate of sacraments, and their meanings and place, were very well debated in the first few hundred years.
The view of water baptism being a symbol and physical representation of Spirit Baptism is not a new doctrine.
The Catholic Church did and does reject it, but that means little to a Believer.
Ceremony is POWERFUL because of what the ceremony represents.
To neglect that ceremony is to neglect a command of Christ and the Apostles.
One last word. The thief on the cross went to the same place that all Believers go to upon death.
Abraham's Bosom/Paradise.
There are no unbelievers in that place.
Christ preached to the people in Noah's day through Noah while Noah lived,
because the Spirit of Christ lives and works in all Believers, and was in all the prophets.
Reread that passage. It does not say that Christ visited them in body, giving them a second chance.
I love the work of CS Lewis, but he got that one wrong.