Biblical Salvation

It seems like every denomination or church organization has a different opinion on Salvation. One denomination says you need to accept Jesus as your personal savior, another will say that we are saved by Grace alone and there is no need to do anything, because everything is already taken care of, and there are others that believe in baptism, but even when it comes to baptism it appears as though every church does it slightly differently.

It is important to know that our salvation is not dependent on what any preacher says, but it is up to us to seek out and live out "Biblical Truth". One day we will all stand before the "Judgment seat of Christ" and we can't simply say "Oh Lord I was raised in this denomination so I didn't have a chance to know anything else!" or "Lord, the preacher said that this was the way! He should have known better! It's his fault that I wasn't saved properly!" It wont matter because we all have access to the Bible and prayer. It is our responsibility as it says in [Phl 2:12 KJV] 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING. Now I can give you a starting place and landmarks to look to, but again you have to pray and study this out yourself. So without further ado…

[Jhn 3:3-5 KJV] 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.

This is one of the most important verses on salvation. We read that unless a person is "born again" they cannot even see the Kingdom of God. Of course Nicodemus was confused so Christ went further and said that unless you are born again of the Water and the Spirit you cannot enter the Kingdom of God! What does it mean to be born again and more importantly what does it mean to be born again of the water and the Spirit?

First of all being born again is symbolic. In John chapter 8 Jesus and the pharisees are arguing about who they are descended from. The Pharisees said that they were descended from Abraham and therefore they are inheritors of the promise. Jesus said you are not of Abraham because if you were you would accept my words, but instead because you despise what I say you are of your father the devil.

By being born again we are being spiritually reborn as heirs of the Kingdom of God to reign with Christ, but if we are not born again spiritually we cannot inherit the Kingdom and we will stay as peasants instead of reigning as Kings and Queens alongside Christ. As for being born of the Water and the Spirit we find the answer in….

[Act 2:38-39, 41 KJV] 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call. … 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls.

We can see the connection between the two passages. First repentance means to have a change of heart or change of mind. With repentance we are recognizing that the things we think are good are evil to God and the things we think are evil are good to God. We are conforming to God and recognizing our need of Him and the Salvation He provides. Now in John 3 Jesus talked about being born again of the water that is baptism. The word baptism literally means to be fully submerged or to be made fully wet. this is important because there are many who "baptize by sprinkling or pouring water on a person, as far as we can tell from history the first churches baptized by taking a person to a river or pool and completely submerging the person in water. Now what does Baptism do? Baptism washes away our sin and iniquity as well as seals us and marks us as God's people.

[Rev 7:13-14 KJV] 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

[Rom 6:3-5 KJV] 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection:

Baptism is so important, yet so many ministers argue that baptism is no longer needed. I've asked several ministers for scripture to prove that we no longer need to be baptized and not a single one could give me a scripture. Even if Baptism wasn't necessary for salvation why would you not want to be buried and raised again with Christ?

Being born of the Spirit means to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

[Luk 3:16 KJV] John answered, saying unto [them] all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: HE SHALL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY GHOST AND FIRE:

[Jhn 14:26 KJV] But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

The Holy Ghost does many things for us and in us. For instance the word Comforter means it will advocate or to plead for another. When we stand before the Judgment seat the Holy Ghost will plead and intercede for us.

The bible also says that we will receive gifts from the Holy Spirit to help us spread the Gospel of the Kingdom.

[1Co 12:4, 7-11 KJV] 4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. … 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

Each person is given a different gifting to either help them in their walk with God or to be used to advance the Kingdom. We are not only given gifts, but we will also bear fruits of the Spirit.

[Gal 5:22-23 NASB20] 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

This is the greatest evidence that we have been filled with the Holy Spirit when we allow the Spirit of God to bear these fruits that change our attitude from one of Hatefulness, jealousy, forgiveness and shame to that of love, peace, forgiveness, and faithfulness.

In summery the way of Biblical Salvation is this…

Repent: To have a change of heart or mind and to realize that we need God in our lives and to seek His forgiveness for our sins.

Baptism: To be fully submerged in water in the name of Jesus Christ so that our sins and our old life are washed away. At the same time we are given robs of white for that great resurrection morning.

Holy Ghost: To be filled with the holy Spirit of God and to live a holy life being fully submitted to God.

Again this is just a starting point for you and these scriptures are here for you to study. You must seek God in prayer and confirm that this is His Will and his way.

God Bless.