Christian Salvation: Believe, Repent, Baptism = Saved & Forgiven

Introduction

1 Timothy 4:16 - Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

The Christian Bible
How are Christians saved? We can certainly find salvation in the Bible. With many teachings, it is easy to be led astray. There are many Christian denominations and the teachings are different between them. So what should you do? Simple, let God's word, the Bible, tell you how to be a true Christian. Let the Bible be the standard as it should. Here is why:

Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,so that the servant of God^[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Peter 1:21 - For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

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. We will show you how right here. We examine what the Bible says about how to be a true Christian.

A Few Things You Should Know

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Find Us Here, Disciples Today

disciplestoday.org/find-us

Jesus Christ 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.

I am looking at the New International Version of the Bible. A good tool I use to search the Bible is at below link and it is free:

Read The Bible Free, Online At BibleGateway

Our Attitudes to Learning Should Be Like The Bereans

Acts 17:11 - Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

There are a lot of mixed messages out there. It is easy to be led astray. So instead of taking other people’s word for it we should look at the Bible itself and let God tell us directly. He himself will give you convictions that you can stand by.

2 Peter 1:20-21 - ²⁰ Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

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.

Table of Contents

Introduction
.....A Few Things You Should Know
.....Find Us Here, Disciples Today
.....Read The Bible Free, Online At BibleGateway
.....Our Attitudes to Learning Should Be Like The Bereans
.....What does it REALLY take to become a true Christian?

Christian Salvation: Believe, Repent, Baptism = Saved & Forgiven
.....Believe
.....Repent
.....Baptism
.....Saved!!

After Baptism And Saved
.....Continue To Walk In The Light
.....Repentance Is An Ongoing Process And A Lifestyle
.....Anytime We Sin Again, We Can Always Repent Again
.....The Blood Of Jesus Can Purify Us From ALL Sin
.....Living The Life Of A Disciple

Summary
.....Is there a Church of Christ near me?

Christian Salvation: Believe, Repent, Baptism = Saved & Forgiven

Salvation Definition - Salvation meaning you and I saved from our own sin and its consequences. That is why Jesus came so we can have eternal life with God. How joyful and happy that will be! That is what I hope for you, me, and all of us on the face of this planet. So let us understand the ABCs of salvation.

Acts 11:26 - and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

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?

Luke 13:24 - “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.

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.

Believe

Belief Meaning - Looking at a Bible verse about faith:

Mark 16:16 - Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

First thing you need is to believe. Need some good Christian quotes about faith? Here is a famous bible verse about faith:

Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Here are more scriptures on faith:

Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight.^[a]

Do you doubt that there is a God? If so, we have an article that may help you believe. 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.

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. So let us keep reading and gaining wisdom.

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 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.

We will  cover more about true biblical faith that is accompanied by action.  Let's start by reviewing what Jesus said.

Luke 13:2-5 - ² Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? ³ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Biblical faith would be accompanied by repentance, a conviction to obey God.

Repent

Repent Meaning - Looking At Sin And Repentance In The Bible

Isaiah 59:2 - But your iniquities have separated
   you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
   so that he will not hear.

Sin is what separates us from God, like a wall.

In This Section

• Repentance Definition - Repentance meaning to stop sin, turn back to God, and start doing good.
• Repentance in the Bible means breaking down that wall of 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.

Repentance Definition - Repentance meaning to stop sin, turn back to God, and start doing good.

Here are some repentance Bible verses we should know.

Acts 3:19 - Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

Acts 26:20 - First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.

Repentance in the Bible means breaking down that wall of sin.

We start by repenting and turning away from sin in our life. We know repent defined as stopping sin. So 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.

Galatians 5:19-21 - 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Romans 1:29-31 -  29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.

Mark 7:21-23 -  21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Revelation 21:8 - But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 -  9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men[a] 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Timothy 3:2-5 - ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

James 4:17 - If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

There are more scriptures on sin and we don't have enough space for the verses, but you can look up things like gluttony, fornication, concupiscence, and the like.

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 keep battling against sin. Fighting sin is an ongoing process while we live on earth.  The attitude to resist sinful desires is what counts, and a lifestyle.

Repentance is not only stopping the bad but also starting the good.

Here are more repentance scriptures:

Galatians 5:22-23 - ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Timothy 2:22 - Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

2 Peter 1:5-7 - ⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

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. He will provide and enable you to overcome.

Matthew 6:15 - But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Confess  your sins to God and others.  Make the decision to no longer live in sin.

Proverbs 28:13 - Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

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.

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. 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.

No matter where you are now, you can make a decision to start seeking him first. So pray, pray, pray. He listens.

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.

Matthew 6:33 - But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

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.
 
Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

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.

Baptism

Christian Baptism Meaning - Baptism Of The Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:13 - For we were all baptized by^[a] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

The next step is baptism and let us find out why.

In This Section

• Born again Christian - To be saved ye must be born again.
• Why baptism is important.
• Acts II - The case for Christ.
• First thing Peter said - They need to repent.
• Second thing Peter said - They need to be baptized.
• Then they will receive two blessings.
• Jesus baptism as an example.
• Baptism bible verses.
• More salvation scriptures.
• Baptism definition.

As we can see here, Christians were baptized by one Spirit. Let us keep that in mind as we read further and understand how that relates to being born again.

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? 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.

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.

Matthew 16:18-19 - ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter,^[a] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades^[b] will not overcome it.¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be^[c] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be^[d] loosed in heaven.”

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven

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.

1 Peter 2:24 - “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

Psalm 51:17 - My sacrifice, O God, is[b] a broken spirit; a broken and
contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

2 Corinthians 7:10 - Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

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. Here is the salvation Bible verse we should all read.

Acts 2:38-39 - ³⁸ Peter replied, “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. ³⁹ The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

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 2 things here.

First thing Peter said - They need to 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 thing Peter said - They need to be baptized.

Peter said for them to be "Baptized" in the name of Jesus Christ.

Then they will receive two blessings.

Now 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

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 and you become born again. And that is when you receive the Holy Spirit.

John 3:5 - Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

Jesus baptism as an example.

Matthew 3:16 - As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.

Matthew 3:16 - As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.

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.

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.

More salvation scriptures.

Read Paul’s conversion in Act 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:

Acts 22:16 - And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

1 Peter 3:21 - and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.^[a] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Even the Old Testament talks about this. Here you see it again, Water and Spirit.

Ezekiel 36:24-27 - ²⁴ “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.²⁵ I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

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.

Titus 3:5 - he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

Ephesians 2:8 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

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 meaning following Jesus. He was ready to live for Jesus. Look at what he said then.

Acts 8:36-39 - ³⁶ As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” ^{[37] [a] 38} And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. ³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

Look, here is water.

Baptism definition.

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.

If you desire, you can research more at below link:

https://www.douglasjacoby.com/q-a-0325-baptism-immersion/

Matthew 28:19 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Notice that only “disciples” are to be baptized.  You need to make sure that you are truly ready to follow him.  If you already completed the above steps on faith and repentance then good!!  Now is a good time to confirm your commitment by verbally declaring that Jesus is Lord, and really mean it.  You are ready to live for him and not for yourself.

Romans 10:9 - If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Timothy 6:12 - Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Now you are really ready to be saved ....

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.

Galatians 3:26-27 - So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Acts 22:16 - And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

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.  As soon as you are baptized your sins are forgiven, and you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, and now you are....

Saved!!

• Your sins are washed away and forgiven.
• You received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
• You are on your way to heaven.
• Now you have that helmet of salvation!

In the Bible, we see this:

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 which follows this process:

• 1) Hear
• 2) Believe
• 3) Repent
• 4) Baptized
• 5) Saved!!

In other words:

HEAR  >  BELIEVE  >  REPENT  >  BAPTIZED  =  SAVED

Believing accompanied with repentance to become a disciple of Jesus Christ along with baptism by immersion is how to receive the Holy Spirit, be forgiven, and be saved. And we saw how the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior was done. 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.

AFTER BAPTISM AND SAVED

Acts 2:42-47 - ⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

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 and worship God.
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. 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.

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.

Anytime We Sin Again, We Can Always 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 Luke 15:1-31 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 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.

Philippians 2:12 - Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

John 1:6-7
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.

James 5:19-20 - My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

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.

Hebrews 4:14-16
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. 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. 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.

Hebrews 9:14
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!

II Peter 3:9
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.

1 John 1:8-9
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]

Proverbs 28:13
Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
   but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

Romans 2:4
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?

II Corinthians 7:10
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

James 5:19-20 - My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

The Blood Of Jesus Can Purify Us From ALL Sin.

1 John 1:7 - 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.

Living The Life Of A Disciple.

Stand Firm In The Christian Faith

1 John 2:6 - Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

Hebrews 10:24-25 - ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,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.

Acts 2:42 - They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Colossians 3:16 - Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Ephesians 4:11-13 - ¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

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. He loved you so much that he died for you.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 - ¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Some points that a Christian should consider:

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 - ¹⁶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

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.

Matthew 26:52 - “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

1 Peter 2:23 - When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

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.

Matthew 6:15 - But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Forgive others and even our enemies.  Because if we don’t then our Father will not forgive us.

Colossians 3:13 - Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Summary

You should come check us out.  International Churches of Christ are all over the globe.

Is there a Church of Christ near me?

You can find all of our churches locations with our interactive map below. Chances are we are near you. Check it out at the link below.

LINK - disciplestoday.org/find-us

If you are thinking like,  "where are non denominational churches near me?",  
then consider us, the Church of Christ.  Why? 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 non denominational 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.

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.

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.

And God bless you always!

Philippians 4:4 - Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

May Grace Be With You Always

Psalm 91:1-6
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.

How awesome it is to know that somebody, somewhere, is on your side.

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.