Salvation

5 STEPS TO SALVATION

God loves us and provided a way for us to be forgiven ( John 3 : 16 ). God sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins ( 1 John 4 : 10 ). Jesus suffered the punishment which we should have received for our sins ( Isaiah 53 : 4-6 ). He did not die for His own sins, for He had none ( 2 Corinthians 5 : 21 ). He suffered for our sins on the cross so that we can be forgiven ( Romans 5 : 6-8 ; 1 Peter 2 : 24 ). In order for us to be forgiven of our sins, and receive eternal life, we must accept the salvation which Christ has made possible.

Step # 1 Hear

One must hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that faith comes by hearing the word of God ( Romans 10 : 17 ). One is not a Christian because their parents are. Faith cannot be inherited ( Ezekiel 18 : 20 ). Each person must believe in Jesus Christ for himself.

Step # 2 Believe

One must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God ( Matthew 16 : 16 ). Jesus said,...except you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins ( John 8 : 24 ). Jesus said : He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned ( Mark 16 : 16 ).

Step # 3 Repent

One must repent of their sins in order to be saved ( Acts 17 : 30-31 ). Jesus commanded that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem ( Luke 24 : 47 ). Repentance is a result of being sorry for one's sins ( 2 Corinthians 7 : 10 ).

Step # 4 Confess

One must confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God ( Matthew 16 : 16 ). This great truth is the very foundation upon which the church of Christ is built.. Jesus said that we must be willing to confess Him before men if we want Him to confess us before the Father ( Matthew 10 : 32-33 ).

Step # 5 Be Baptized

When someone decides to accept Christ, part of the "outward sign" of accepting Jesus as their savior is being baptized. Nowhere in the Bible does anything but "immersion" take place. The word "baptize" is a transliteration of the original Greek work (baptizo) which means immerse. Jesus told his followers to make disciples, baptize, and teach. ( Matthew 28 : 16-20 ) Tying repentance and baptism together provides forgiveness of our sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit ( Acts 2 : 38 ).

Baptism ( immersion ) pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. In the same way that He went through these things, our old nature is to "die" and we are to be "buried with Him through baptism into death" and raised to "walk in newness of life". We do not just try to be a better person, we bury the "old person" in the water and become a "new person" through our acceptance of Christ ( Romans 6 : 1-7 ).

Communion in the Christian Church is offered to all who have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.