"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16)

People often ask, "Is a man lost just because he is not baptized?" Actually, he is lost because he is a sinner. If a man who can't swim falls into a lake and a boat is sent, but he won't get into the boat, is he drowning because he won't get into the boat? No, he is drowning because he is in the water. Likewise, a man is not lost just because he is not baptized, but is lost because he is in sin. Just as the boat is the means of rescue and one must get into it, the gospel is the means of salvation and must be obeyed (baptism included) to rescue from sin.