In this sermon Appreciating Jesus' Sacrifice, Jesus Christ died for us. His death is what baptism puts us into. His death is associated with baptism.  We were saved by the death of Jesus Christ. We could not BUY salvation, we all know that work affords us money. So when we buy something, we can say we worked and paid for it. We bought it because we worked. Sp the idea that Simon could buy the power to give people the gift of the holy ghost actually implies, Simon believed he could work for God's gifts. Simon was in an utterly depraved state of mind, and was therefore still captive and a prisoner of sin! His baptism didn't do anything for him, because he did not appreciate what baptism was and how  Only Jesus could buy our salvation with something far more precious than money. After Romans read we are baptized into Jesus death, making His death into our own deaths, it says: Rom 6:7 KJV  For he that is dead is freed from sin. We are freed. We get into Jesus death, and he that is dead is freed from sin! That was why Paul wrote: Rom 6:2 KJV  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? We are dead in sin because we were baptized into Jesus' death. And a dead person is freed from sin! Unfortunately, if you die and are not saved, you are freed from sin and wake up in hell. But we die with Jesus and LIVE ON! The Holy Ghost and all the powers from God are GIFTS.