Question about Acts 2:38: What about the martyrs?

[Aquila]

I honestly feel like we're still very much "babes" when it comes to all of this. Acts 2:38 mentions repentance, water baptism in the name, and Holy Spirit infilling. We read this and apply it in the context of its literal surface meaning and our own tradition. We don't delve into the deeper realities behind repentance, baptism, and Spirit infilling. We do not see how justification, identification, and regeneration are eternal spiritual realities of conversion that Acts 2:38 is designed to bring a convert into. Since we don't see these more spiritual realities, we essentially ritualize the verse and begin requiring a rigid adherence to what we believe it should be and look like... outwardly.

This troubles me. Much of Apostolic Christianity has yet to graduate from the superficial into the deeper spiritual realities truly found in our faith.