The Bible makes it consistently clear that when a person believes in the Gospel of Jesus Christ then they are saved. The Bible does not teach that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is at a separate time.
The fact that the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit before their baptism should eliminate all the confusion since Truth cannot contradict. Cornelius and his group were saved before they were water baptized, they received the Holy Ghost as proof.
Water Baptism is not the gospel because the gospel is something you believe in, not something you do. Mk.16:16 can be paralleled with Jn. 3:18, “He that believeth on Him (Christ) is not condemned” shows unanimously with the rest of Scripture, that believing is what saves and removes us from condemnation without water baptism. However, water Baptism is important and should not be neglected, it is an act of obedience to Christ, who gave this ordinance to the church. But if done TO BE saved you have missed the gospel.
Lets look at one last Scripture.
Eph. 1:13 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.”
Here Paul explains after hearing the gospel of your salvation and the emphasis is on believing (having faith in its message) you are sealed with the promise – the Holy Spirit. This should be sufficient if one goes by the clear statements of his letters to the Church. Paul continues this though saying in Eph. 3:17 “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love.” And when did this happen? When you first believed, according to Paul.
I pray this information helps you to see Scripture in context and understand this subject more clearly.
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