Paul recites as part of an early creed.
2 Timothy 2:11 ...If we have died with him, we will also live with him;...
Here it seems that our living with Christ is conditioned on us having died with Christ. The only place in the scriptures where we are described as uniting ourselves with Christ's death, I am aware of, is through baptism:
Romans 6:3-5 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
(*See also Colossians 2:12 and surrounding verses)
(I've significantly edited my question for greater clarity based on responses below)
For those who do not believe in baptism for salvation please answer specifically the following questions:
- Do you believe it is necessary to have died and been buried with Christ in order to be saved? If not please provide a biblical basis for why not.
- Do you believe that we are not buried with Christ at baptism? If not, what is the biblical basis for believing that we are not united with Christ's death at baptism?
- If you believe that we died with Christ at belief (or at some other time), what is the biblical basis for claiming that our moment of death with Christ is the moment we first believed in Jesus Christ specifically or some other specific moment?