I know I won’t get anywhere on this because of the RCC’s position on Israel, but still you deserve an answer to your post.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).
Our Lord Jesus came to the Jews only to minister to the Jews only. The Church was instituted later by Christ Jesus using the Apostle Paul as the apostle of the Gentiles. Lord Jesus was not speaking to anyone but Israel in the John 3:5 statement (ye).
Further on this text, it was regarding entry into the Kingdom, not into The Body of Christ, a/k/a the Church, which would come later with the Apostle Paul.
Peter was a minister to Jews and Jewish proselytes.
“And St. Paul tells us that this new birth through baptism is salvific, stating that God “saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).”
Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Re above Titus text, it’s washing OF regeneration, not washing of water.
“And again in 1 Peter 3:21: “Baptism . . . 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.”
1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
1Pe 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
1Pe 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
“This washing of regeneration (re-birth) through the waters of baptism was instituted by Christ as an instrument of salvation. God also used water as the instrumental cause of salvation for the eight people aboard Noah’s ark (1 Peter 3:20-21).”
Our Lord Jesus came to the Jews only. The Church that we know today was instituted by Christ Jesus using the Apostle Paul as the apostle of the Gentiles. How does the Apostle Paul instruct us to be saved? It’s one word only.
Amen
Not only is it how we are saved it’s also the “work of God “
It’s baptism, and has been since the beginning.
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/baptism-saves-you
And if you think that you don’t need baptism then you sure aren’t following Jesus’example, since he was baptized at the start of his ministry.
Steve Ray explains this to Protestants the best.