Everyone who receives Jesus Christ’s Salvation. Baptism is our first step in following Jesus as Lord.

Jesus commanded it and He set the model we are to follow by being baptized in water. In Matthew 3:13-17, Jesus was baptized in water to fulfill all the righteous requirements to make believers right with God when we believe in Jesus. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus commanded that His disciples baptize new disciples in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

The first Christians were baptized in water as a sign that they believed in Jesus Christ and received His forgiveness by repenting and confessing Jesus is Lord. Throughout the book of Acts, baptism was the first step people made. See Acts 2:38-41; 8:36-38; 9:18.

Baptism symbolizes that we have been united with Jesus Christ and that we identify with His death and resurrection.‍ ‍

1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 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. Romans 6:1-4 (NIV)

Baptism is a symbolic way Christians identify as part of the family of God.

4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-4 (NIV)goes here

Salvation is not something we work for or earn. Salvation is something that we receive through faith in Jesus Christ. Nor is salvation a formula. A+B=C. Salvation is only by having faith in the resurrected Jesus Christ and being restored into relationship with God.

When someone receives Jesus as Savior by believing in their heart that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and confessing with their mouth that Jesus is Lord for the repentance of their sins, one becomes born again. Being born again is the work of the Holy Spirit’s power who makes us the new humanity—the Children of God. (See John 3 below)

Salvation is the result of our restored relationship with God the Father, through the work of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit in us. When we repent of our sins, receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, and confess Him as our Lord, God forgives us of our sins and credits us with the righteous work of Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:7-10; Romans 8:1-4)

12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:12-13 (NIV)

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

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. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. John 3:3-21 (NIV)

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. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)

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 sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
1 John 1:7-10 (NIV)

1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1-4 (NIV)