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.
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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.
Palmerworm, locust, cankerworm and caterpillar
53-0612 §8
...of course, that's right. It's all by faith." "But" I said, "Brother Osborn, you're a promising little man. And I see that you're ... I believe you're a good level Scripture teacher." I said, "Let me ask you something. If you want to be a success in life, don't claim nothing you haven't got. It'll be showed anyhow after while that you're falsely," see. I said, "Just be honest before God and go on out." I said, "You know... You believe the Bible teaches divine healing?" He said, "Yes, Brother Branham." I said, "Teach...
Hebrews, Chapter 2, part 3
57-0828 §23
In Africa they baptize you three times face forward: once for God the Father, once for God the Son, once for God the Holy Ghost. Now that's a error. There's no such teachings of that in the Bible, see. And now, that's what they taught. It come down through Luther, out of Luther into Wesley, on down into the ages as it rolls on. But it never was a Bible teaching. It's always been a error, since it was begun.
To see Jesus
54-0718E §42
...o you realize that in the last days, when this duel of the spirits come... I wasn't going to say this, but the Holy Spirit is pressing it on me now. Do you realize that the Bible teaches that in the last days, when the two spirits has the showdown, that will not be through some doctrine of churches or something? The Bible said, "The two spirits would be so close till it'd deceive the very elect if possible." Did you realize that it was taught that as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these men, reprobate co...
Seeking after Jesus
53-0531 §10
I want to ask you something. If we were going to look for Jesus of Nazareth tonight, I want to ask this audience: Do you believe that the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ rose from the dead? Do you believe that? Well then, if He rose from the dead, He's among men tonight as He promised He'd be. He said, "A little while and the world seeth me no more, yet you shall see Me." Who is He talk... Well, who's "you, ye"? It's a believer, the church. Just that group of people know. "You shall see Me, for I'll be with you, ev...
Adoption, part 3: Position in Christ
60-0522M §77
How long is this salvation lasting? How long? What kind of salvation is it? From church to church? From... Let's turn to Hebrews 9:11, just a minute, just to look to see how long, just for a few minutes. Turn over to the book of Hebrews and let's find out just how long this salvation is lasting, see what kind of a salvation it is. Let's read now Hebrews 9:11: But Christ becoming a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say [now this is the same...