Thank God for the Baptists. They have their non-legalistic advantages when it comes to the subject of "sacraments."

In stark contrast, pity the Catholics, Episcopalians, Anglicans, and Lutherans who are burdened with performing (or committing, depending upon your point of view) the pseudo-salvation-requirements? of variable types and numbers of "sacraments."

The basic definition of a "sacrament" in essence is: Use Of A Material Aid Through Which The Grace of God Comes To Us.

There is no record in Scripture that the initially-reviling but soon penitently-saved Dying Thief On A Cross ever participated in any sacrament before dying and entering Purgatory (oh, excuse me: Paradise).

He apparently was never baptized. He apparently never received eucharistic communion (commonly referred to as: "The Lord's Supper"). He might or might not have participated in the sacrament of Marriage. Or the Anglican sacrament of brotherly unity and fellowship.

Yet, by Christ's own promise, he entered Paradise - where he yet presently resides.

The problem with "sacraments" is that they do not atone for sins as humanly-achieved actions of justification and atonement. Only ONE phenomenon atones against our sins, and that of course is only and completely the sacrificial death of Christ Jesus Himself on a cross. Any other human-means-to-an-end additions or substitutions to that are heretical and satanic blasphemy.

About the "sacrament" of "baptism," we find these Scriptural passages:

Mt 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all....
Mr 1:4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Mr 10:38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"
Lu 3:3 and he went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Ac 13:24 Before his coming John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
Ac 19:4 And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus."
Ro 6:4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Eph 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Col 2:12 and you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
1Pe 3:21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

The Matthew 28:19 command of our Lord to baptize involves bringing voluntarily-committed converts into God's family, and the tradition of the Lord's Supper inferred by Saint Paul in First Corinthians chapter 11 involves those already voluntarily committed to their Saviour re-affirming loyal and obedient relationship with the Lord as Redeemer and Lord.

Pertaining to the Scriptural statement of Saint Peter that "Baptism....now saves you," we find other human actions in Scripture that seem to say we take part in self-salvation, such as "We are justified (i.e. saved) by our own faith, not by works alone" and "We are justified by our own works, not by faith alone."

Self-salvation with or by whatever sort of flies in the face of:

Jas 1:17 Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

But what self-saves us: being baptized with water (whether merely sprinkled or, better yet, immersed).....or repenting while being baptized? What self-saves us is: neither one.

Refer again to: The One Perfect Atonement Christ provided Himself by Himself on a cross!

Ditto concerning (not regarding) the self-saving "sacrament" of the Lord's Supper.

Our baptism, our faith, and our works are NOT the cause of our atonement and redemption against our sins....but rather are evidence that we believe in and accept CHRIST's baptism, faith, and works relating to the baptism of Him willing to die for us, having the faith to believe that He would be resurrected and that His sacrifice would in fact atone for our sins, and then Him actually doing the good work of doing what He alone did.

And how "oft" or "often" should we self-serve each other for self-salvation? Do eucharist every minute of every day? How about every hour on the hour? Maybe every other day? Once a week? Bi-weekly? Once a month? Both God's Word to the Nations and the JB2000 Bible translations state: "every time" instead of: "as often." I like that better, though one should check with and ponder the actual Greek-Text words that are recorded in the New Testament:

Lu 22:19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." [But how often - if again at all - did He want His Twelve Apostles to do that?]

1Co 11:25 In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
1Co 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Both the God's Word to the Nations and the JB2000 Bible translation state: "every time" instead of: "as often." I like that better, though one should check with and ponder the actual Greek-Text words that are recorded in the New Testament:

In fact, simply annual once-a-year communion would reflect the annual Hebrew celebration of passover:

De 15:20 You shall eat it, you and your household, before the LORD your God year by year at the place which the LORD will choose.
Jud 21:19 So they said, "Behold, there is the yearly feast of the LORD at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah."
1Sa 1:21 And the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and to pay his vow.
1Sa 2:19 And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year, when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
1Sa 20:6 If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city; for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.'
Heb 9:25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the Holy Place yearly with blood not his own....

Eucharistic communion is too serious to mistake it for weekly niblets of wafer and wine as supplement-appetizer snacks before Sunday lunch.

However, it is the one weekly or monthly or yearly chance for teetotalers to:

1Ti 5:23 No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.