ANTIOCH CHURCH OF CHRIST

The Plan of Salvation

Jesus made it very clear in John 14: 6 when He said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man cometh to the Father except by Me." There is but one plan of salvation for which Jesus gave His life. One must obey the gospel according to what the gospel teaches, because Jesus again said in John 17: 17, "...Thy Word is Truth." We are going to be judged by that Word. In John 12: 48, Jesus said, "...the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge you in the last day." The gospel plan of salvation, according to the Bible, is:

First, one must hear the Word of God in order to believe and have faith. Romans 10: 17 says, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Hebrews 11: 6 says, "Without faith it is impossible to be pleasing to God, we must believe that He is, and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
We must repent of our sins. There is a tremendous difference between repentance and confession. One may confess all day the things that he has done wrong and still not repent. Repentance is a change in life, a change in attitude. In Luke 13: 3 Jesus said, "Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish." If we do not truly repent of our sins, we shall be eternally separated from God.
We must confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. In Romans 10:10,we find, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." In Matthew 16:16ffJesus asked the disciples this - whom do men say that I, the Son of Man am?" Jesus then asked Peter, "but whom do you say that I am?" Peter's response was precise, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." This is the same confession that you and I must make today.
According to the Bible, not the opinions of man, baptism (immersion) is essential to our salvation. Mark 16: 15-16, "....He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." In I Peter 3: 21 we read, "Whereunto the like figure of baptism doth also now save us..."