One must hear the Gospel of Christ. Romans 10:17 reads, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

One must believe the Gospel of Christ. Hebrews 11:6 reads, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Contrary to the teachings of many denominational and sectarian churches, the Bible teaches that Faith alone does not save. John 3:5 reads, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Jesus clearly makes the connection between water and salvation. No man can enter into the kingdom of God without first being saved. It was also Jesus who said in Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” This word “and” is a conjunction that makes belief and baptism of equal importance. This helps us to understand that no one can have salvation without both belief, which must precede baptism, and then baptism. When understanding the requirements for salvation, one cannot separate Faith from Obedience. James 1:22 reads, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 2:24 & 26 reads, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” When we sever the connection between the two, we displease the Lord. James 2:19 reads, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” The child of God must believe as well as obey. Hebrews 5:9 reads, “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.”

One must repent of past sins. Regardless of your current condition, salvation is available to you only if you are willing to repent of your past sins, and commit to placing God’s will before your own. All men, regardless of self-perception, are utterly lost without God’s grace. According to Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Acts 17:30 reads, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.”

One must confess Jesus as his/her Lord and Savior before others. Matthew 10:32-33 reads, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” The apostolic example of the confession one is to make is found in the confession of the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:36-37: “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

One must be baptized for the remission of sin as stated in Acts 2:38. Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” As previously stated, salvation is predicated on both belief and baptism. To reiterate Mark 16:16: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” The Scriptures tell us that on the Day of Pentecost, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41). The hearers of the Gospel heard the word, understood their sinful state, repented and obeyed the same day. Furthermore, the baptism commanded by Christ requires submersion in water. The apostolic example of the Ethiopian Eunuch (who, likewise, was baptized straightway) tells us in Acts 8:38, “And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.” Additionally, the Classical Greek word for baptism, baptizo (pronounced bap-tid'-zo) means: 1) to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk); 2) to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self, bathe; 3) to overwhelm. According to Ephesians 4:5, there is but “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” Many denominations and sectarian groups misinterpret Holy Scripture and suggest the untruth that there is more than one baptism, or that one can be saved without baptism. The Bible teaches the contrary. While Christ lived on earth, he most definitely had the power and authority to forgive mankind of sins, and even unto the last hours of his life on earth, he delivered grace unto those who sought him. With the death of Christ Jesus, however, came the establishment of the New Testament (Hebrews 9:15-17). The resurrected Christ expressly delivered his will for mankind, commanding all men to be baptized (Matthew 28:19-20). Baptism for the remission of sin is unavoidable for any penitent believer who desires salvation. Acts 10:47-48 not only tells us that baptism is open to all penitent believers, but also is another example of how water baptism is to facilitate the salvation of Christ. We read, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.” All who seek the Lord and are willing to obey the commands of Christ cannot be denied baptism. Acts 10 does not teach that salvation works independently of obedience. Acts 10 teaches that baptism cannot be denied. The Gentile Cornelius was not saved until he obeyed that which Christ had commanded.

The Lord then adds His new child to His Church. Acts 2:47 reads, “Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

The church explained in the Bible is the church of Christ. Why? Jesus built his church. The latter part of Matthew 16:18 reads, “...I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it..” Jesus, the member of the Godhead with the power to bleed, purchased His church. We read in Acts 20:28, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” Jesus married His church according to Ephesians 5:22-32. That makes it His church, which by law must bear His name. We read Romans 16:16, “Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.” Jesus is the head over his church (Ephesians 1:22, Colossians 1:18). Those who abide in his church, in his body are Christians, and the Holy Scriptures only refers to God’s children (Galatians 3:26) as Christians. (Acts11:26, Acts 26:28, I Peter 4:16)

One must then be resolved to work on upholding God’s commands and working on his/her own salvation. Philippians 2:12 reads, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”