How to be saved by Jesus Christ

True, Full Salvation: many who are deceived are deceiving others

Something so clear and straightforward, yet how Satan has deceived millions! Jesus died to redeem us from sin. Mark 10:45; 1 Peter 2:24. We respond for salvation by obeying the terms Jesus set forth! Hebrews 5:8-9. Read on for details:

1.    Hear the gospel. Be open to teaching. There is no salvation without teaching. Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 20:20,27,32.

2.    Salvation does not come from touchy feely experiences. “You must be born again” is not some mystical encounter where God mysteriously touches your heart and ‘hey presto!’ – you’re born again.

3.    Being born again involves teaching; it involves the Spirit; it involves the water of baptism. Read John 3:3-7 and 1 Corinthians 6:11; 12:13, and then compare Romans 6:3-7, 16-18, 23. It is mostly overlooked that, in its context, “the free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23), is received at baptism! Read all of Romans 6 to see this. Colossians 2:6-7 says the same thing in the context of 2:11-14; that is, you receive Christ as Lord when in faith you are baptized into Christ and thus forgiven your sins. Righteousness is connected with obedience as well as faith. Romans 3:21-22; 6:16-18; Hebrews 11:4

4.    Being born again means you must die in order to be raised to live a new life. To be born again you have to die to your worldly life so that “God can cause you to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3. When you are taught correctly, your teacher hands you over to that teaching to obey it in faith, repentance and baptism. This is what Matthew 16:24-26 is all about.

5.    If you read Romans 6, along with Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:36-38; 22:16; Colossians 2:6-15; James 1:17-18, 21-25 and Hebrews 5:8-9, you will see clearly that being born again – saved – involves obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ by being baptized when you believe and repent:

·         In belief, you trust God to spiritually change you through Jesus.

·         In repentance, your sorrow about the sins in your life causes you to change your thinking about the direction you are heading. The more you look at what Jesus has done for you - in taking your sins in his body and dying on the cross to procure your salvation – the more you will see your need to do something about your sinful life.

·     In baptism, you take the plunge. Literally! In being immersed in water and then raised from that water, you are trusting God (or calling on His Name) through His Spirit to raise you from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive – to new life in Christ. See this in the apostle Paul’s conversion. Acts 22:16. Baptism involves both water and Spirit. John 3:3-5; Titus 3:5. The water terminates the old life, while the Spirit germinates the new life, giving access to God. 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 2:18!

For those who argue that baptism is Spirit baptism, and not water baptism, Acts 2 has the Spirit written all over it, and yet believers were still commanded to repent and be baptized (therefore water baptism as commanded by Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20) to receive forgiveness, resulting in the gift of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is in the name of Jesus Christ, as was the baptism of Cornelius and his household in Acts 10:47-48, incontrovertibly water baptism – even though the Spirit is also written all over their conversion! John baptized in water, and so did the apostles! Acts 11:15-16; 10:47-48; 8:35-39. The baptism of John was local in Israel and devoid of the Spirit. When the apostles baptized in the name of Jesus they also brought the Spirit with them, Matthew 3:11, and the Spirit used them, as He does us today, to baptize in water everywhere throughout the world. Acts 1:5-8; 2:38-39; 5:32; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 Peter 3:20-22.

6.    When you have been baptized in the name of Jesus, God gives you the gift of the Holy Spirit to seal you as one of his saved people. Acts 2:38; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14. The whole counsel of God, not just your favourite proof texts! Harmonise all rather than omit any. Matthew 4:4; Acts 20:20, 27,32. Faith was prevalent during Jesus’ ministry. Faith, repentance and baptism when the gospel goes around the world. This contrast is very evident when you first read John’s gospel, and then turn to read the Acts of the Apostles - much “believe” in John and much “be baptized” in Acts. Why the difference?

7.    All of this is salvation by God’s grace. Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 18:8,27; Titus 3:3-8. Especially observe that the “believed through grace” of Acts 18:27 includes baptism in Acts 18:8, just as Colossians 2:11-14 proves that “by grace through faith” of Ephesians 2:8 implies baptism!! Again harmonizing Scripture!

8.    Then you spend the rest of your new life living faithfully for Christ in the grace of God. Acts 20:32; 1 Peter 1:1-2; 1 John 1:5-2:2; Revelation 2:10. We obey to the best of our ability, trusting Christ’s blood to wash away our shortcomings (sins).

9.    The grace of God doesn’t mean you don’t do anything yourself. It doesn’t mean God does it all and you do nothing. What it means is that God did what we couldn’t do in having Jesus take care of our sins by his death, and we then obey Christ’s terms of salvation – graciously revealed by God – so that Christ’s resurrection means that we too can be raised with Christ to a new life, freed from sin when God forgives us. God condemned our sin with the sacrifice of his Son (Romans 8:3), then forgave us and freed us from sin and condemnation when we believed, and then obeyed in repentance and baptism. Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-11,16-18; 8:1-2; Colossians 2:11-14.

10.  Below we have some examples of Scriptures that show the full counsel of God’s salvation: what Christ did and what we are commanded to do. Especially note the connection and harmonization between the Romans 10 Scripture and the 1 Peter 3 Scripture: when a sinner confesses his or her faith in Christ – that is, tell their teacher what they believe about Christ, which is their pledge of their good conscience – they become eligible for baptism that saves. My old English Revised Version has Romans 10:10 as a cross-reference to 1 Peter 3:21!! I believe I’ve explained why!!

“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 4:25-5:2. Access into God’s grace. What a privilege! What a blessing!

“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” Acts 2:36-39

“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin — because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” Romans 6:3-7

“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:8-17

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7

Read all the Scriptures used in this lesson. Read them carefully. Remember Jesus’ words:

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4

“Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.” “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” Mark 4:20-25

Jesus did not say these things for nothing!! It’s not church traditions about salvation that save, (unless those traditions agree with Scripture); it’s what Jesus and the Holy Spirit teach about salvation that saves! Read very carefully what Jesus says about traditions in Matthew 15:1-14.

The following Scriptures include references to faith and obedience, as well as Jesus’ suffering and death:

“Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,” Hebrews 5:8-9

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:1-9

Satan planted in the mind of Eve the lie that contradicted what God had commanded Adam and Eve. Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-24. Satan has been getting people to contradict God’s word ever since! I’m not suggesting such people are deliberately setting out to lie or contradict God, but why do so many not teach what God has clearly revealed, instead of teaching what they ought not to teach, Titus 1:10-11, even when people like me try to correct them? James 5:19-20. Why are so many so stubborn in their denial of the clear truth of Scripture? Read 2 Thessalonians 2:9-15 and think about what is going on with regard to what some people believe and why they insist on believing it. It gets very scary!!Read carefully John 8:43-47; 1 John 4:1-6. They are letting Satan mislead them and yet

they don’t seem aware of what is happening. Whatever happened to seeking and loving truth above all else?

       To further confirm the importance of obedience in saving faith, read Acts 5:32; Romans 1:5, 6:16-18 and 16:26. Note v.2 of 1 Peter 1:1-9 quoted in full above.       

Finally, remember: you trust and love Jesus when you obey Jesus. You don’t trust in your obedience, which would

be self-righteousness! Your faith in Jesus leads to your obedience. The faith-only doctrine of salvation is a deception that must be exposed. It will cost millions their souls. Many preachers and teachers will have to give an account to Jesus as to why they have relegated water baptism to the “non-essential” category when the Bible makes as clear as crystal that “whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:18-22

Both faith and baptism, along with the circumcision of Christ and God forgiving us of our sins, are all found together in the salvation explanation of Colossians 2:11-15, virtually a parallel to Ephesians 2:1-9, which essentially says: when you were dead in your sins, God raised you up alive in Christ, by grace through faith. “By grace through faith” includes water baptism – clearly evident in the conversions of the book of Acts! Another case of harmonizing Scripture. But notice also, in the context of the Colossian passage, the two references to not being deceived by persuasive arguments – 2:4 and 2:8 – according to the tradition of men!! Warnings not always heeded! “Be not deceived” is a common warning in the Scriptures because it is all too easy to be deceived! Satan is fooling many.

Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15

As he was saying these things, many believed in him. So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you

abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:30-32

I believe I’ve covered it!! Read all Scriptures carefully. Think deeply. Share widely. “Snatch some from the fire!”

--David Carr