How do we get saved? What are required for us to receive salvation? Since salvation is a gift from Jehovah God Almighty through His Son, Jesus Christ, accepting this gift is easy, not tricky at all.
We are saved the moment we 1) repent of anything bad we've ever done and 2) accept Jesus as Savior. Accepting Jesus as Savior means that we have accepted his teachings and diligently applied them to our lives. Simply believing in Jesus does not give us salvation. If belief is all that's needed, then Satan can be saved, too!
To be saved, we must know 1) the one and only true God, Jehovah, and 2) Jesus Christ. Jesus said: "And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ." (John 17:3)
But note what Jesus said: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)
Therefore, faith in Jesus is doing the will of God, not just accepting God and Jesus. Simply knowing about them is not enough. Remember, all the demons and the devil know them more than we know them.
God's will is summed up in the two most important commandments: 1) love Jehovah God, and 2) love others as you love yourself. All the other principles are based on these two principles.
When we do God's will, we walk in His light: "but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)
Faith in Jesus also means "believe" in him: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
"He that believeth on him is not judged: he that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:18)
"...through his name every one that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins." (Acts 10:43)
"...ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God." (1 John 5:13)
We must "believe" and "obey" Jesus: "He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36)
Obedience includes repentance. At the start of his ministry on Earth, Jesus first preached: "Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17)
So repentance is required for salvation. Hence, Jesus' sacrifice doesn't automatically ensure us salvation. Each person has to personally respond to it by 1) repenting and 2) accepting Jesus as Savior and Master.
*Each individual's positive response has to remain for their lifetime. Otherwise, they will lose this gift.
Salvation is only through Jesus, not through anyone else, nor through doing good works only, nor through any church or denomination. Denominations are manmade. We should never focus on the manmade, but God-made.
Doing good works alone will not save us:
"...by him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:39)
"for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8)
In other words, justification (a right standing with God) is through faith. What this means is that doing good works alone will not earn us salvation. We can never measure up to the standards of God, for His ways are the highest. How could we ever be good enough for the Creator of the universe? Therefore, salvation is a free gift from Jehovah. We do not earn it. We can only humbly accept it and gratefully keep it, just like a present a good friend would give to us. However, good works are very important--doing good works is how we can keep the gift of salvation. We prove whether our faith in Jesus is genuine by our works. Faith without works is dead: "What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him?" (James 2:14)
Jesus said: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)
What does all this mean to us?
Jehovah God is the King of His Kingdom, which will be entrusted to Jesus as King for one thousand years. If we cannot connect with God, we surely cannot enter His Kingdom. So when we can have connection with God only through His Son, it means we can enter the Kingdom only through Jesus. No one can enter the Kingdom without accepting Jesus as Savior. He is the "way" to salvation. He is our eternal "life." He is the "truth" that will lead us to God and God's Kingdom. Jesus is "Yahooshua" in Hebrew, which means "Jehovah Is Salvation." "Christ" means "the Appointed One." So Jesus is the one appointed by God to provide us salvation, while salvation ultimately comes from Jehovah.
In conclusion, true repentance and faith in Jesus are the only two requirements for salvation. Baptism is simply an outward sign of your confession in Christ; it's not required for salvation.
The Bible speaks of another type of baptism: baptism in the Holy Spirit. This also is not required for salvation. The baptism in the Holy Spirit gives each believer the power to be a powerful witness to the Gospel. Note what Jesus said: "But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
Having this anointed power from God helps us fulfill Jesus' Great Commission, which is our responsibility to spread the Gospel--the good news of the Kingdom of God and salvation through Jesus.
What about good people who have never had an opportunity to know about Jehovah and Jesus? Will they be saved? That is up to Jehovah. Personally, I believe they will be saved. You see, everyone--both the good and the evil--will be resurrected. God's Kingdom will reign over Earth for one thousand years. After this 1000 years is up, there will be a final judgment. Therefore, many people will be given their final chance to prove their faithfulness, and those good people who never knew about God will have the great chance to know Him during this 1000 years. Then, they will be judged. God's ways are always the best ways. We don't need to worry about those people who never had the opportunity to know about God, such as babies and children who died too young. However, it is our responsibility to spread the Gospel to as many people as we can in order to save as many folks as possible!
For more basic facts about salvation, including why particularly Jesus had to die in order to save us, read my article: http://tinyurl.com/ylaafno
Shirley Cheng (b. 1983), a blind and physically disabled award-winning author (with 21 book awards, including nine Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Awards), motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, poet, author of nine books (including "Do You Love Jehovah? God Almighty's Infinite Love & Wisdom to Propel You to Greatness"), contributor to twenty, and a parental rights advocate, has had severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since infancy. Owing to years of hospitalization, she received no education until age eleven. Back then, she knew only her ABCs and very simple English; other than that, her book knowledge was non-existent. However, after only about 180 days of special education in elementary school, she mastered grade level in all areas and entered a regular sixth grade class in middle school. Unfortunately, Shirley lost her eyesight at the age of seventeen. After a successful eye surgery, she hopes to earn multiple science doctorates from Harvard University. Visit http://www.shirleycheng.com for more inspiration.
Do you have questions about the Bible? Something you don't understand? Do you need a bit of guidance in developing a relationship with Jehovah? Then Shirley would like to help you! Please contact her via her site at http://www.shirleycheng.com and she would be more than glad to do her best to answer your questions! Never hesitate to ask questions, for no question about the Bible is ever too small or stupid.