Can it be this simple? Yes!
God’s simple plan for salvation requires 6 distinct things that each person must do in order to receive the gift of His glory. Keep in mind that achieving salvation is a journey throughout life. You may follow the steps but if you remain sinful and unchanged in your heart (mind), your efforts will be for naught.
1. HEAR the word of God
Mat. 11:15 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Rom. 10:17 “Then faith is of hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”
You must hear the word of God in order to first understand His authority and power of redemption through Jesus Christ. You must also hear the “truth” of His word and not everyone who preaches is interested in the truth. The point here is to be sure that what you hear can be verified in the scriptures. Of particular importance is what you must understand prior to completing the process. The nature of the gospel of Christ i.e. His Death, Burial and Resurrection. You do not have to hear a series of sermons before understanding this most fundamental and important component of the salvation process.
2. BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is the Son of God
Joh. 3:16 “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.”
Act. 8:37 “Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, it is lawful. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Mar. 16:16 “He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.”After you have heard the word, you must believe that Jesus is the Son of God. This is exemplified in Acts 8:37 when the apostle Philip was sent to an Ethiopian Eunuch who at the time was reading what we now refer to as Isaiah 55. The Eunuch did not understand what he was reading and Philip was sent to him, taught him and baptized him straightaway.
3. REPENT
Luk. 13:3 ” I tell you, No. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
Act. 17:30 “Truly, then, God overlooking the times of ignorance, now He strictly commands all men everywhere to repent”Repentance is a sincere change of heart and attitude towards God. You cannot go on living a life of sin (i.e. doing those things you know to be wrong) and receive God’s blessings. Sometimes this means a radical change and often includes giving up the kinds of relationships you have that are possibly no good for you anyway (the kind that encourage you to do wrong). Other times it means you have to go separately from family tradition but ask yourself; what is your salvation worth? Would you die and burn in hell for your family and friends? If you’re going to be selfish about something, be selfish about Christ and the only means of salvation in Him.
4. CONFESS that Jesus IS the Son of God
Mat. 10:32-33 “Then everyone who shall confess Me before men, I will confess him before My Father who is in Heaven. (33) But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in Heaven.In Act. 8:37, the Ethiopian Eunuch confessed with his mouth that Jesus is the Son of God. You must do this before men so that your public confession will be acceptable to God. You must go on throughout your life never denying the confession you’ve made.
5. Be BAPTIZED for the REMISSION of SINS
Joh. 3:5 “Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Rom. 6:3-6 “Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? (4) Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father; even so we also should walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have been joined together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection; (6) knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed, that from now on we should not serve sin.
Act. 2:38 “Then Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ to remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Baptism is the final step to beginning a new life in Christ. In spite of popular belief, you cannot be saved without taking this step in your commitment to God. 1Pet. 3:21 “which figure now also saves us, baptism; not a putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ;”. Some evangelists have suggested that baptism is just “an outward sign of an inward grace”. This is nonsense and misleads a person into believing that baptism is somehow ‘optional’ and that the person is saved prior to this happening but the biblical record clearly says otherwise. Do not be deceived. No where since the church was established do you find anyone ever being saved without baptism. See further explanation here.
6. REMAIN FAITHFUL UNTIL DEATH
Heb. 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Heb. 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Heb. 5:9 “And being perfected, He became the Author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him,”
Rev. 2:10 “Do not at all fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the Devil will cast some of you into prison, so that you may be tried. And you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.”In the ongoing battle of good and evil, living a life of Christ will at some point cause us to suffer trials that challenge our faith. This is where you’re given an opportunity for increased spiritual growth and you are to remain faithful until death. For what is this life? For it is a vapor, which appears for a little time, and then disappears (Jam 4:14). God does not want you to live a life in misery and pain, rather if you are faithful and diligently perform the work He prescribes for you, you can live a happy and fruitful life. What you should understand is that your life, when dedicated to God, is no longer yours but His and your salvation is worth more than anything this world has to offer.
What Does Not Make You A Christian
1. Just believing in Jesus Christ
2. Just believing in God
3. Joining a church…any church
4. Having water sprinkled or poured on you as a baby
5. Simply being a ‘good person’
6. Having said the “sinners prayer” and accepted Jesus into your heart
7. Anything that is outside of scriptural support.
