Christian Salvation: Believe, Repent, Baptism = Saved & Forgiven
Introduction
Table of Contents
*** Click Below To Jump To Section ***Introduction*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***
.....God Wants You To Be With Him Forever
.....Read The Bible Free, Online At BibleGateway
.....Our Attitudes to Learning Should Be Like The Bereans
Christian Salvation: Believe, Repent, Baptism = Saved & Forgiven
.....Believe
..........First thing you need is to believe.
..........Bible quotes about faith are many. Here are more scriptures on faith.
..........If you doubt that there is a God, research can help.
..........True Biblical faith is not only intellectual belief.
.....Repent
..........Define Sin
..........Repentance Definition
...............Here are some repentance Bible verses we should know.
..........Repentance in the Bible means breaking down that wall of sin.
..........Some scriptures on sins we need to repent of.
..........Fighting Sin
..........Repentance is not only stopping the bad but also starting the good.
..........Forgiving others is also part of repentance.
..........Repentance is to also give up everything you have to Jesus and God.
..........Don't worry, God loves you and wants you to seek him first.
.....Baptism
..........Born again Christian - To be saved ye must be born again.
..........Why baptism is important.
..........Jesus gave Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
..........Peter uses the keys to the kingdom of heaven to open the door.
..........Peter's answer on how to get saved.
...............*** First you REPENT ***
...............*** Second you get BAPTIZED ***
...............Then NOW you are Forgiven, NOW you received the Holy Spirit, and NOW you are Born Again.
..........Jesus baptism as an example.
..........Baptism Bible Verses.
..........Look at how Paul became a Christian.
..........But what about the thief on the cross, Jesus saved him too?
...............Jesus was still alive on earth when he saved the thief.
...............After Jesus died & raised again, he gave us a new command.
...............The new command is to be baptized.
...............Why baptize? Because it is part of the new way to be saved.
..........Baptism Definition
..........You need to make sure you are ready to be baptized.
..........Time to be baptized!
.....You are Saved & Forgiven!!
..........After Jesus died & raised, people were saved with these steps in the Bible.
...............HEAR > BELIEVE > REPENT > BAPTIZED = SAVED
.....Video On How To Be Born Again And Saved
After Baptism
.....Continue To Walk In The Light
.....Repentance Is An Ongoing Process And A Lifestyle
.....Anytime We Sin Again, We Can Repent Again
..........Encouragement - All Sin Repented Of Can Be Forgiven.
..........Encouragement - The Blood Of Jesus Can Purify Us From ALL Sin.
.....Let Us All Stand Firm In The Christian Faith
Closing Comments
.....Is there a Church of Christ near me? - Find Our Churches Worldwide, Interactive Map
.....Do You Need Special Help? Are You In Trouble?
.....Like This Article? Feel Free To Share With Others.
God Wants You To Be With Him Forever
In the world that we live in, there is good and evil. Life is short and we all will pass away one way or the other. The result of our lives can effect where we would be after death. All of us have sinned and nobody is perfect. There is a God and he wants all of us to have eternal life with him, because he loves us despite our sins. We all need to be rescued and our God the Father knows that. He sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to save us.
Christianity is based on following Jesus Christ, who is truly the Savior of the world. Only he can save us. It is critically important to know how does one become a Christian. You may be asking yourself the question of "How do I become a Christian?". Such an important question. We can certainly find salvation in the Bible which is the Word of God. The answer is in the Christian Bible, how are Christians saved and when. But with many different teachings, it is easy to be led astray. There are many Christian denominations and the teachings are different between them. You may be desiring God and want to know truly how to become a Christian. We should be diligent in making sure we really understand the Bible so we can live the Christian life God truly wants us to live. So what should you do? Simple, let God's word, the Bible, tell you how to be a Christian. Let the Bible be the standard as it should. Here is why:
We should pay attention to the Bible and look at our own lives to make sure we are on the right track in following God's word. You want to know how are Christians saved and so how do you become a Christian? Here we will share with you on how to join Christianity. We will examine what the Bible says about how to be a true Christian.
Jesus Christ the redeemer will save you and me if we obey him. That really is the most important thing, a wonderful relationship with God.
Nobody knows how long he or she will live. It could end tomorrow. So it is critical that all of us know how to really be saved and go to heaven.
Read The Bible Free, Online - BibleGateway
I am looking at the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible. A good tool I use to search the Bible is at below link and it is free:
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Our Attitudes to Learning Should Be Like The Bereans
Let us read the Bible itself and let God tell us directly. He himself will give you convictions that you can stand by.
The Bible says all Scripture is God-breathed. It is flawless. We should make every effort to do everything it says, not only partially. Why? Because that is where you and I find the salvation that God wants us to have.
What does it REALLY take to become a true Christian?
In the next section we are going to cover the details directly from the Bible on how to truly become a Christian.
Christian Salvation: Believe, Repent, Baptism = Saved & Forgiven
Salvation Definition - Salvation meaning you and I are saved from our own sin and its consequences. That is why Jesus came so we can have eternal life with God. He died for you and me. Why? Because he wanted to save us by his blood, shed on the cross.
Jesus is the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE
How joyful and happy that will be when we have eternal life with God! That is what I hope for you, me, and all of us on the face of this planet. So let us truly make effort to understand the ABCs of salvation and how to be a Christian.
The Christians were known as "Disciples" first BEFORE they were called "Christians". Later on people started calling them "Christians". Both names mean the same. Christian = Disciple. A Christian is a disciple, a follower of Jesus, imitating him, living like him. Shouldn’t we do whatever it takes?
Jesus says we should make every effort. So.... let us aim to obey everything Jesus says, not only some of them. Then what are all the things a person should do to be a true disciple? Let us start with the first thing needed - Believe.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Believe
Belief Meaning And Importance
First thing you need is to believe.
Check out some good Christian quotes about faith. Here is a famous Bible verse about faith:
Bible quotes about faith are many. Here are more scriptures on faith.
Let us put our faith in God. Here is a trust in God verse that we should remember:
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.[a]
The above Bible verse about trust is one of many. You can find many other scriptures on trusting God. And there is a whole chapter about faith in the Bible in Hebrews 11.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***If you doubt that there is a God, research can help.
If someone has difficulty saying "I believe in God", we have an article that may help those who doubt. Please see - Prophecies Proving The Bible Is From God. There is also much other evidence that proves that there truly is a God. Jesus Christ is the Messiah, Son of God, and Savior of the world. He died for our sins and God raised him from the dead. Now that Christ is risen, in the future he will come to transform those who truly follow him.
Also, there are plenty more faith verses in the Bible that you can look up. Do you think the definition of believe meaning only intellectual belief and nothing more? Can one just intellectually believe and purposely live a life of sin and evil deeds and still be saved? To really understand what it means to believe we should not limit our reading to just a few verses. There is more to it and we would do well to read and know our Bible. The scriptures are not to be understood in isolation from one another, but rather fitted together and understood complementarily. In other words, we need to connect the dots in the right way. So let us keep reading and gaining wisdom.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***True Biblical faith is not only intellectual belief.
It is absolutely true that you must believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Savior, and Son of God, who died for your sins and was raised again by the God the Father in heaven. But true biblical faith does not stop there because it is also accompanied by action. Even the apostle James confronted this idea that true faith is just purely intellectual.
James 2:17-26:
17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[a]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[b] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Reading the above scripture, we see two types of faith:
- Faith without deeds is dead
- Faith with deeds is alive and active
Naturally I want to have the faith with deeds that is alive and active. I am sure you do too. This is true Biblical faith, accompanied by action. Let's see what Jesus himself told those who believed him.
They believed him but Jesus told them that they must hold to his teaching because if they don't then they are not really his disciples. Then what was his teaching? Well, we know what he was teaching. He was telling people to repent.
Is it possible for some of them to intellectually believe in Jesus but not hold to his teaching, and not repent? Of course. They could refuse to repent and keep living a life of wickedness and not make any effort to do any good at all. In other words, faith without deeds. Jesus was telling people to repent and was looking for those who believe and hold to his teaching. In other words, faith with deeds. If you think about it, if you really believe in Jesus, the Son of God, you would obey. Your faith is living and active. That is true Biblical faith. Lets look at another scripture.
Intellectual faith does not render the above scripture as unnecessary. No, you need both. We certainly must do the will of our Father in heaven. Again, we should view the scriptures together in context. Lets read a couple more.
True Biblical faith would be accompanied by repentance, a conviction to obey God.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Repent
Repent Meaning And Importance - Looking At Sin And Repentance In The Bible
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.
Define Sin
Sin meaning - an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law. But fortunately, we can repent from our sins and correct our mistakes.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Repentance Definition
Lets look at this very important word closely.
- The New Testament was written in Greek. Here, repent comes from the Greek word, metanoia which means change of mind.
- Similarly, the Old Testament was written in Hebrews. Here, repent comes from the Hebrew word, teshuvah, which means to turn.
Repentance meaning to change your mind and stop sinning. Turn back to God and start doing good.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Here are some repentance Bible verses we should know.
Repentance in the Bible means breaking down that wall of sin.
We start by repenting and turning away from sin in our life and turning to God. We know repent defined as change of mind. Make up your mind to find out what God considers sin and stop them from occurring in your life. Some people might think there are only seven deadly sins. Actually there is a whole lot more. A list of some of the sins can be seen in the passages below. Know what they are and stop them if you are doing any. Look up the definitions to understand what they mean.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Some scriptures on sins we need to repent of.
Have you read about homosexuality in the Bible? You see it in above passage. Practicing homosexuality is a sin, as we can see in more scriptures like below.
There are more Bible verses about homosexuality such as the following scripture:
Lots of other sins we need to be aware of also:
There are more scriptures on sin and we don't have enough space for the verses. There are other sins like gluttony, fornication, concupiscence.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Fighting Sin
Make up your mind to repent of any sin in your life and to start living and walking like Jesus did. That is repentance. God is looking at your attitude. You’re not perfect but make the decision to repent the best you can. Have a mindset of saying no to sinful and evil desires and instead aim to bear good fruit that pleases God. That is what disciples of Jesus do. Sure, you’ll mess up again and again. You sinned again? Simply get back up, repent, and be a man of God fighting sin. Fighting sin is an ongoing process while we live on earth. The attitude to resist sinful desires is what counts, and a lifestyle.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Repentance is not only stopping the bad but also starting the good.
Here are more repentance scriptures:
It is God's will that we run away from evil desires and start doing good.
Forgiving others is also part of repentance.
Be sure to forgive everybody. Hold no bitterness toward anyone. If we cannot forgive others then why should we expect God to forgive us? If it is hard to forgive then pray for God to give you strength to do so. God is good and he will provide for you and enable you to overcome.
We are not perfect, no matter how nice we can be. We have all sinned in countless ways. But thankfully, Jesus was perfect and came to save us from our own sins.
We should be humble and acknowledge that we are sinners also. We need to be forgiven too.
There is another part of repentance that we also MUST do, and it is surrendering all you have to Jesus and serving him as your Lord as described below.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Repentance is to also give up everything you have to Jesus and God.
Below are some more repentance verses we need to be aware of.
Luke 14:25-33 - 25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
Here Jesus says that in order to be his disciple, you must love him and God more than anything and anybody, even family and yourself. And you must give up everything you have to Jesus, carry your cross and follow him. Jesus calls us to be his disciples. Jesus is king and we are his servants. He owns you and everything you have. So as a good servant, have an attitude to manage whatever you have to serve him whether it is wealth, assets, time, life, family, job and whatever else. Because he gave us all good things and it all belongs to him and we belong to him.
Don't worry, God loves you and wants you to seek him first.
We covered a lot of repentance quotes up to this point and it may be difficult hearing this. But do not despair. God loves you and wants you to seek him first.
Disciples go to church to worship God, loving their brothers and sisters, and growing in knowledge. Whether it is online, or at a building, or in a small group, or wherever you are, have a mindset to join the fellowship to the best of your ability and ready to serve.
All above steps MUST FIRST be done. When you have done so then you are ready to proceed to the next phase which has a very important step that you should know about.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Baptism
Christian Baptism Meaning - Baptism Of The Holy Spirit
As we can see here, Christians were baptized by one Spirit. Let us keep that in mind as we read further.
Born again Christian - To be saved ye must be born again.
John 3:3-8 - (King James Version)
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 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.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
In order to enter the kingdom of God, you must be born again of Water and of the Spirit. How do you do that? Are you wondering how to become a born again Christian? Where in the Bible do we REALLY see disciples get born of the Water and the Spirit? Well, did you know that baptism water is involved? Yes, baptism in water takes place here. You can TRULY learn how to be a born again Christian.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Why baptism is important.
Let us examine the Bible closely to see why water baptism is so important and what baptism in the Bible really means. When Jesus walked the earth he forgave sins directly. Then he died, then God raised him from the dead, and then he went to heaven. But before he died he said he would give Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven. See the next section below.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Jesus gave Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
Peter uses the keys to the kingdom of heaven to open the door.
To get to the kingdom of heaven a person has to be forgiven and born again of Water and the Spirit. And Peter had the KEYS to the kingdom of heaven. What did he do with the keys? He opened the door to the kingdom. And when did that happen? Well, on the day of Pentecost, of course. Read the scriptures on Acts Chapter 2, which is right after Jesus died and went to heaven. Peter told the crowd that their sins (and your and my sins also) put Jesus Christ on the cross and killed him.
Acts II - The case for Christ.
Acts 2:36-37 - 36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
How did the people respond? They realized their error of killing the Savior of the world, the Messiah. They wanted to be forgiven and saved. So they asked Peter to show them the way. They were “cut to the heart”. They felt bad and guilty for their sins putting Jesus on the cross. They were sorry that they hurt Jesus. That kind of attitude pleases God and it will also help them repent. We should have that attitude also.
My sacrifice, O God, is[a] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
If you are searching for Bible verses about salvation then here it is. Peter responded to their question and he answered exactly how to gain salvation. Remember that Peter had the KEYS. He has the answer. We should all know this salvation Bible verse that Peter says next.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Peter's answer on how to get saved.
Now right here you see Peter actually using the KEYS of the kingdom of heaven. And this is for all of us. He showed the people how to be forgiven, receive the Holy Spirit, and be saved. How? Well Peter said two things here.
*** First you REPENT ***
Peter said for the people to "Repent". About 3,000 people repented that day. They made a decision to stop sinning and start doing good. We covered how to repent earlier along with faith.
*** Second you get BAPTIZED ***
Peter said for them to be "baptized" in the name of Jesus Christ.
Then NOW you are Forgiven, NOW you received the Holy Spirit, and NOW you are Born Again.
When we BOTH - Repent and be Baptized, in that order, then we receive TWO blessings. And it is promised that we will get them.
- Forgiveness of sins
- Gift of Holy Spirit
And as a result, we are Born Again of water and the Spirit.
The people did what Peter told them to do. They obeyed. They repented and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. At that point in time, they received the forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit. Do we see “Water” and “Spirit” in this situation? Yes of course, they were baptized in “Water” and they received the “Holy Spirit”. Born again - Water and Spirit. Baptism is the point in time when your sins are washed away. That is also when you receive the Holy Spirit. And that is when you are Born Again.
Jesus baptism as an example.
There you see it again at the baptism of Jesus - Water and Spirit. Here is a water baptism verse that is a perfect example of baptism. He shows how baptism is done. He went into the water and was baptized. Who baptized Jesus? John the Baptist did after Jesus came to him.
There is a reason why the Bible shows us the baptism of Christ. And we are to follow Jesus. A lot happens at baptism. We are going to read more baptism verses and look at baptism scripture more closely. For us, when we are baptized, we come into contact with his blood for the first time, which purifies us from all sin.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Baptism Bible Verses.
Romans 6:3-7 - 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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.
5 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. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
Colossians 2:11-14 - 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh[a] was put off when you were circumcised by[b] Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[c] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
Let us cover more salvation scriptures.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Look at how Paul became a Christian.
Read Paul’s conversion in Acts 9 and Acts 22. See both and you will see Paul met Jesus, got blinded and stayed in Damascus for three days where he did not eat or drink, and prayed to God. Let me repeat that - three days! But he wasn’t forgiven until he was baptized, see Acts 22:16. Here you see more proof that baptism is the point in time that your sins are forgiven:
Even the Old Testament talks about this. Here you see it again, Water and Spirit.
We cannot save ourselves and we cannot earn salvation. But as unworthy servants we simply respond in repentance and our merciful God saves us when we are baptized.
Here is another example, look at the situation with Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip studied with him on the scriptures and the eunuch understood what it took to be a disciple. He knew that discipleship meant following Jesus. He was ready to live for Jesus. Look at what he said then.
But what about the thief on the cross, Jesus saved him too? (Luke 23:32-43)
God can certainly save anybody he wants. It is up to him, he is in total control. And thankfully, Jesus graciously saved the thief while Jesus was still alive. Now, to understand this better we need to look at the context. Here are some things to think about. Please see below.
Jesus was still alive on earth when he saved the thief.
Jesus was still alive on earth when he forgave and saved the thief, because he can. Lets see below scripture.
After Jesus died & raised again, he gave us a new command.
But then later Jesus died and was raised again. Then he appeared to the apostles and said this:
And then he went to heaven to be with God. Then right after that, in Acts 2, Peter told people to repent and be baptized.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***The new command is to be baptized.
Lets see below scripture again:
Romans 6:3-7
3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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.
5 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. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
So we see that AFTER Jesus died and was raised again, people THEN had an opportunity to actually be "baptized into his death". Before Jesus died, people could not do that, including the thief. But now since Jesus died, then SUDDENLY you could now be "baptized into his death".
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Why baptize? Because it is part of the new way to be saved.
If we look closely at the above scripture (Romans 6:3-7), we see the answer.
- So we can be - “baptized into his death"
- So “we too may live a new life”
- So we can be “united with him in a death like his”
- So “we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his”
- So “that our old self was crucified with him”
- So “that the body ruled by sin might be done away with”
- So “that we should no longer be slaves to sin”
- So “because anyone who has died has been set free from sin”
- So we can be SAVED!!
If you read further down in the same chapter of Romans 6 you see this:
The Roman Christians obeyed and were baptized. Shouldn’t we do the same? Jesus forgave and saved the thief while on the cross while he was still alive. He knew the thief could not be "baptized into his death" because Jesus did not die yet. And Jesus also knew how we were to be saved after his death. He told us to be baptized.
So after Jesus died and was raised, he gave us a NEW command:
We must do what Jesus tells us to do. He tells us to be baptized. Look at Paul’s conversion again, which is after Jesus already died and raised again:
Paul was baptized and washed his sins away. In other words, Paul obeyed Jesus and was “baptized into his death.” So all those other blessings I just listed above happened at that time too. And also remember that Jesus said you must be Born Again of Water and of the Spirit. Let us review this scripture again to see how it all comes together.
And how about this one?
Baptism Definition
Baptism is the time when you are born of Water and of the Spirit. It is when you are Born Again - (John 3:3-8). So how do you get baptized in the name of Jesus Christ? Well, the New Testament was originally written in Greek. The Greek word that is translated baptism in the New Testament is from the verb BAPTIDZO which means immerse, submerge, bury, or plunge. The word is always used for New Testament baptism. Classical Greek authors used this word to describe ships sinking in naval warfare. The clear implication is total immersion underwater. So we should do it the right way - immersion baptism under water.
Here is more, what did the early Christians understand what baptism means? See the below link:
https://www.douglasjacoby.com/q-a-0325-baptism-immersion/
(BTW, I have total respect for Douglas Jacoby. He is a very qualified Bible teacher with a wealth of wisdom and truth. We would do well to learn from him.)
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***You need to make sure you are ready to be baptized.
See what it says? Notice that only “disciples” are to be baptized. And here is the thing, you must do it like the disciples did - believe and repent BEFORE you are baptized, not after. As it is written:
You need to make sure that you are truly ready to follow him before baptism. If you already completed the above steps on faith and repentance in your life, then good, you are ready. You are ready to follow Jesus, serve God, fight sin, and do good. That, my friend, is the mindset of a true disciple and follower of Jesus. Now is a good time to confirm your commitment by verbally declaring that Jesus is Lord, and really mean it. When you say that from the heart, then you are ready to live for him and not for yourself. As a result, you are ready to be baptized.
Now you are really ready to be saved ....
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Time to be baptized!
Baptism is needed for a disciple to be forgiven of sins, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and is actually part of the plan of salvation. In other words, baptism is the point in time where you first come in contact with the blood of Christ that purifies you from ALL sin. Those past sins get wiped out.
Typically another disciple will go into the water with you and baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Once you have been baptized then the good news has come.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***You are Saved & Forgiven!!
- Your sins are washed away and forgiven.
- You received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- By the grace of God, you are on your way to heaven.
- Now you have that helmet of salvation and the armor of God!!
After Jesus died & raised, people were saved with these steps in the Bible.
Before Jesus died he gave Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And he taught the disciples how to teach others. Then Peter who had the keys, showed the people the way to enter the kingdom of heaven. And we can see the steps occurring in the following order below to the point of being saved.
HEAR > BELIEVE > REPENT > BAPTIZED = SAVED
1) Hear
2) Believe
3) Repent
4) Baptized
5) Saved!!
Believing accompanied with repentance to become a disciple of Jesus along with baptism in the name of Jesus Christ is how to be forgiven, receive the Holy Spirit, and be saved. And we saw how the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior was done. That is how to be a true Christian. We should simply look at the Bible and let it determine what our actions should be in regard to salvation. Yes, we are saved by the blood of Jesus if we respond by obedient faith according to His Word! This includes being baptized and to exclude it is just as sinful as to exclude repentance or anything else God has told us to do by faith in order to be saved. Please read carefully the entire chapter of Acts 2 along with many other scriptures and consider these things. Our souls hang in the balance.
If anyone comes to you and asks the question "How can i become a Christian?", then you can share your faith and help them. This pleases God. And you can have them read this article to understand better.
Video On How To Be Born Again And Saved
Do you still have questions? To get more understanding, I suggest watching the below video. It is excellent in explaining about being how to be born again and saved. Rick Overturf has been a minister for close to 40 years and is filled with wisdom on the scriptures.
After Baptism
What happens after Baptism?
Hebrews 10:25 - not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Continue To Walk In The Light.
After your baptism you continue to live out your life for Jesus. And you have fellowship with your brothers and sisters. Together we praise God and worship him. Every day you are continuing to fight sin, doing good, sharing your faith with the lost, helping the needy and poor, going to church and encouraging other disciples, and all kinds of other good deeds out of thankfulness that the Lord saved you.
Forgiveness in the Bible
While we walk in the light and have fellowship with one another, our sins continually get forgiven, every day. Going to church is important, so we can worship God with other believers and be taught His Word for our spiritual growth. The church focuses on relationships with God and one another. You’ll be surrounded also with true disciples dedicated to loving and doing good. At our church, if you need help on anything we have Christian counseling. If you don't understand some things and have Christian questions, let us study with you and help you in your knowledge of the scriptures. You can find out more about our churches further down in this article.
Repentance Is An Ongoing Process And A Lifestyle.
We should make an effort to the best of our ability to join with each other in fellowship and worship God and grow. Connect with each other the best you can whether it is in person or online or email or a simple phone call or even by letter. Keep in touch and encourage each other. Pray for each other.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Anytime We Sin Again, We Can Repent Again.
If we ever give up meeting together or keep on sinning in some way and being rebellious, then we should repent and get back into the fold and ask for forgiveness. Because if we keep on deliberately sinning again and not walking in the light then we are in trouble. If we ever find ourselves in that situation, we need to repent and turn to God who will forgive us. Our loving God is compassionate and gracious and will forgive us if we mess up. Be sure to read all of Luke 15 and see how forgiving our wonderful God is. He loves us and wants us to be with him forever. All sin repented of can be forgiven. When we repent and turn back to God, he graciously takes us back in just like he did with the prodigal son. And the blood of Jesus, his Son, will purify us from all sin. So after you become a Christian, you continue working out your salvation by making sure you keep walking in the light. That is how to be a good Christian and how to live a Christian life.
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***Encouragement - All Sin Repented Of Can Be Forgiven.
6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.
And see these wonderful encouraging scriptures to know that God loves you and will forgive. God forgave the prodigal son who left and then came back (Luke 15).
Matthew 18:10-14 (The Parable of the Wandering Sheep)
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. [a]
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[a] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,[a] so that we may serve the living God!
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Luke 17:3-4
So watch yourselves.
“If your brother or sister[a] sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”
Matt 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
Encouragement - The Blood Of Jesus Can Purify Us From ALL Sin.
Let Us All Stand Firm In The Christian Faith
Sometimes hardships, trials, and suffering can make us feel downtrodden and depressed. Pray to God who can give you strength to persevere. Live for him and Jesus because he is worth it. Jesus loves you, me, and all of us. He loved us so much that he died for us. Jesus paid it all and we are now free from sin and saved.
Here are a few Bible verses about faith in hard times:
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Some points that a Christian should consider:
Christians should know that they are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst. Persevere under suffering, (do not suicide because it is wrong). Stay strong.
Do not retaliate and physically hurt your enemy. Don’t even make threats to harm them. Instead entrust yourself to God who judges justly. This is what Jesus did. Don't forget Matthew 6:15.
Forgive others and even our enemies. Because if we don’t then our Father will not forgive us.
Closing Comments
We covered a lot of bible quotes and there is a lot to think about. If you are thinking, "Where are the Christian churches near me?" or "where are non denominational churches near me?". You should come check us out. We are the International Churches of Christ. If you are looking at Christian religion and searching for Christian organizations with true Christian values then please come see us. Why? Because we are a non denominational church and we really try to follow the Bible and LIVE it because it is God's Word. And actually do what it says. That is what a Christian should do. Let the Bible be shown in the way we live and love. Let us study with you and help you in your relationship with God.
As Christians we all should persevere, keep going to church, staying close in the fellowship, encouraging our Christian brothers and sisters, keep sharing faith with the lost, helping others become disciples too, and encouraging each other to imitate Jesus in his way of life. Let nothing move you from staying close to the Lord. Because salvation in Christianity is eternal life with our Lord and Savior.
It is likely that you can find one of our churches close to you because we are all over the world. You can find one of our churches near you at the below section which has a link to an interactive map that enables you to zoom in to find our churches globally.
Is there a Church of Christ near me? - Find Our Churches Worldwide, Interactive Map
You can find all of our churches locations with our interactive map. We might be near you. Click the below button to find one of our churches near you.
Do You Need Special Help? Are You In Trouble?
Having a hard time on something? We have Specialty Ministries that cater to specific needs.
Are you in prison or someone you know? Check out our brother Kit Cummings. He helps those in prison and he has great books that can encourage you. Also, if you happen to be in Georgia, USA then you are in luck as that is where he is currently, that we know of.
Like This Article? Feel Free To Share With Others.
God bless you and may grace be with you always!
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
To God be the glory!!
Above Painting Credit - https://www.lightweave.me/Immanuel/FinisherofFaith
*** Go Back To Table of Contents ***P.S. If you need more faith that the Bible is from God, we have an article for that. Please see - Prophecies Proving The Bible Is From God.
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