We must be careful not to make the mistake of thinking that Peter is giving us a set order of salvation, as if the act of baptism conveys forgiveness and automatically brings the Spirit into the heart of whoever is baptized. Certainly he is drawing a close connection between the sign and the thing signified. But we will see elsewhere in Acts that the Spirit sometimes comes before baptism and sometimes after. The emphasis then is not so much on the order or the timing of the Spirit but the fact that it is the Spirit who works a true faith in the hearts of God’s people, and baptism is a picture of the benefits that come from this union with Christ. A visible picture of what Christ has done for us.
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.