The Bible’s Steps of Salvation

The Sin Problem:

  1. Sin is the transgression of God’s law (I John 3:4).
  2. Everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23).
  3. Sin’s punishment is death (Romans 6:23).

Jesus Is The Answer:

  1. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
  2. Jesus was sinless (Hebrews 4:15), but He suffered and died for us, so that our sins could be forgiven (Romans 5:6-8).

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Hear The Gospel:

  1. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).
  2. Unless one has heard that Jesus Christ died for his sins, was buried, and arose from the dead, he cannot be saved (I Corinthians 15:1-4).

Believe In Jesus:

  1. Jesus said: “…if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24).
  2. When the Philippian Jailor asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Paul and Silas replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:30-31).
  3. Jesus also said: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

Repent Of Sins:

  1. “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
  2. When the Jews on Pentecost Day learned from Peter that they had crucified the Son of God, they “were cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37).  They wanted to be forgiven of their sins, so they asked, “What shall we do?”  They were told to “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:37-38).

Confess Jesus As Lord:

  1. Jesus said: “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).
  2. The apostle Paul wrote: “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:8-10).
  3. When Philip preached Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch, the eunuch asked, “What hinders me from being baptized?”  Philip told him he could be baptized if he believed.  The eunuch then confessed, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:35-38).  We must make this confession in order to be saved.

Be Baptized Into Christ:

  1. Jesus said: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16).
  2. Only those who believe in Jesus, repent of sins, and confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God can truly be baptized (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, Acts 8:37-38).  Otherwise, baptism becomes what Peter said it is not: “the putting away of the filth of the flesh…” (I Peter 3:21)…in other words, a bath.
  3. When one is baptized, or buried in water, according to the Scriptures, he/she is baptized into Christ’s death (Romans 6:3-4), Added to the Lord’s church (Acts 2:41,47), saved (Mark 16:16; I Peter 3:21), born again (John 3:3-5), and in Christ where all spiritual blessings are to be found (Ephesians 1:3, Galatians 3:26-27).

What does one have to do in order to be forgiven of his sins?  He must:

1.     Hear the Gospel of Christ;

2.     Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God;

3.     Repent of all his past sins;

4.     Confess that Christ is God’s Son;

5.     Be baptized for the remission of sins.

Are you saved from your sins?  Have you taken these simple steps to salvation?  If not, why not do so today?

For more information, contact: Walnut Street Church Of Christ, PO Box 551, Greenville, Alabama, 36037.