What Does the Bible Teach About Salvation?
1) Direct Answer
Salvation is the new birth. The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and that faith answers God’s call by repentance, water baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. There is only one way to be saved, and that is through Jesus Christ and His finished work.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- Our need: All have sinned (Romans 3:23). The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life (Romans 6:23). Without shedding of blood there is no remission (Hebrews 9:22).
- God’s provision: God was manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). He purchased the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28). He who knew no sin was made sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21).
- The call: Repent and believe the Gospel (Mark 1:15). “Whosoever believeth in him should not perish” (John 3:16). Confess and believe unto salvation (Romans 10:9–10).
- The Bible pattern: “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” (Acts 2:38). “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). In Acts, believers were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 8:16; 10:48; 19:5).
- Identification with Christ: We are baptized into Jesus Christ, into His death; buried with Him by baptism; raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3–4; Colossians 2:12).
- The new birth: “Ye must be born again” (John 3:3–7). “Born of water and of the Spirit” (John 3:5). “Not by works… but by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5). If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His (Romans 8:9).
- Assurance and fruit: By grace are ye saved through faith, not of works (Ephesians 2:8–9). He that hears, believes, and has passed from death unto life (John 5:24). Those who receive His Spirit are led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14) and become new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17), walking in holiness (Hebrews 12:14) and love, keeping His Word (John 14:23; 1 John 2:3–5).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- You see, the Gospel is Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation follows that pattern in the believer:
- Repentance is your death to sin.
- Water baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ is your burial with Him.
- Receiving the Holy Spirit is His resurrection life in you.
- It’s not earned by works, church membership, or creeds. It is God’s grace received by faith, proven by a changed life—the life of Christ expressed in you.
4) Reinforcing Statement
Now notice, the Scripture gives one Name for salvation: “There is none other name under heaven… whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Turn to Him, obey His Word, and He will fill you with His Spirit. That’s the Bible way.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
The Queen of the South
58-0125 §7
...of Brother Bosworth. How many ever knowed Brother F. F. Bosworth? He's happier tonight than he's ever been. He's in glory. The gallant soldier, one of the most outstanding Bible teachers on divine healing I ever met in my life. I've read of many great men, and I've read their history. I've heard them that had little mark here, and a little black mark here, and a little mark against them over here; but never one voice did I ever hear, or anything, against F. F. Bosworth. He was a man that lived what the Bible teach...
The unfailing realities of the living God
60-0626 §35
On a few nights ago someone said, "Under discernment, Brother Branham's all right. But when it comes to his theology, he is all out." Any person that would only know that the Bible teaches the very word "prophet" means, "a diviner of the Word." Those signs are only an--an increase. Teachers, and so forth, can teach the Word. But when you see something coming that's supernatural and divining like that, only proves that that's the thing. That's God's Word.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever
58-0207 §6
...e place, then it's out everywhere. It's perfectly in harmony all the way through. I just believe the Word. That ... it's God's program. I do not want anything more than the Bible teaches, but I want all that it does teach. I want it all. So it's God's Word. It must come... Now, I know that God can do things that's not written in His Word. He's God. He can do anything He desires to do. But as long as I know it's coming out of the Word, it just gives me a good assurance that everything's all right. I like that real w...
The sign of the time
58-0520 §36
...pearing of the Lord Jesus, signs and wonders taking place. Then the lights went out. It's been a day of dismal, neither night nor day. What is it? Enough to say there was a Bible, teach it as a historical thing, something happened back there. But no power, just so they just join church and that's it. It's just dismal; they haven't got enough light. But when the sun goes down in the west, He promised that He'd shine the same light on the western people that He shined on the eastern. Oh, it's here: the Lord God has c...
Expectation
61-0207 §32
Now, I believe in Bible schools. I believe we should do that. We should have Bible schools. My boy just come out of Waxahachie. I got a girl fixing to go in there---Waxahachie Assembly of God School in Waxahachie, Texas. I believe in that. But brother, when we get to teaching in our schools and seminaries just the right way to speak, and so forth and all, education and so forth... What we need today in seminaries and all, is a back to God, back to God. Not our educational programs, but our salvation program. "Go ye...