Does the place or method of water baptism make any difference?
No. Water baptism’s location or method makes no difference. Scripture teaches that the baptism that counts for eternity is the Holy Spirit baptizing every born-again believer into the body of Christ, not baptism in Jordan water, Timbuktu river water, or any other way.
Les teaches that the baptism that matters is not water baptism but Spirit baptism. He explains that “for by one Spirit” refers to the Holy Spirit, and by that one Spirit all born-again believers—not just an elite few—are baptized into the body of Christ, the universal body of believers. No unbeliever enters that body. A person may be baptized in water and become a church member yet still be lost. But the true child of God is baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ’s body the moment of salvation. That baptism counts for eternity, while Jordan water or Timbuktu river water makes no difference. Once in the body of Christ, the believer is His and safe for eternity, whether Jew or Gentile, bond or free, rich or poor.