God's Conditions for Salvation
Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess,Be Baptized, and Remain Faithful.
You may have heard the phrase "plan of salvation" before. While that is not an error, it should be explained that these are conditions that God, through His word, has set in place for us to obtain said salvation. That salvation can only be attained once we have submitted to God, rendered obedience to His word, and followed through with what He requires.
To Hear the word (to understand)...
Before we take any step toward salvation, we must be taught. The Bible teaches that "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" in Romans 10:17. That chapter speaks regarding salvation. "Calling on the name of the Lord" as mentioned in verse 13 is more than uttering words. It is rendering obedience to the word of God completely. Paul would go on to say in verse 14, "How challenging they call on him who they have not believed? And how that they believe in him of who they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" Common sense tells us we must be taught. Not only hearing with our ears, but understanding/hearing what God would have us to do.
To Believe...
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen," according to Hebrews 11:1. We also see in verse 6 that "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Although faith is a vital part of God's conditions for salvation, faith alone cannot save. "Faith only" is only mentioned one time in the New Testament doctrine and it is preceded by the words "not by". Please see James 2:24. Once we have been taught the word, we establish a faith that God has definitely prepared the way for us live and die in a saved condition. We then "diligently seek him" as the mentioned verse says. Diligently seeking means that we fully obey and follow the commands found in God's word.
To Repent...
Repentance is understanding, through our study and faith, that we are in a lost condition. Once that realization is made we are then willing to CHANGE our lives. That is "putting away all the filth of the flesh" mentions in 1 Peter 3:21. We understand that Luke 13:3 & 5 tells us "Unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish." We cannot live for God and keep living a sinful life. Never, under any circumstance, does God word teach such things! Repentance again is change and leads us to completely remodel our life, allowing God through his word to be the molder and builder.
To Confess...
Going back to Romans 10:9 mentions "confessing with our mouth" just as verse 10 tells us that "with the mouth confession is made UNTO salvation." Jesus states in Matthew 10:32 "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my father in heaven." Confession is a vital part of God's conditions, and we see this in Acts 8 with Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. Acts 8:26-40 Philip is told to go south from Jerusalem toward Gaza. There he meets the eunuch. We know by scripture, the eunuch was reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading and the eunuch replied "how can I, except some man should guide me?" Philip began at the same place he was reading from and taught unto him Jesus. The eunuch then asked about the water and what hindered his baptism. "If you believe with all your heart, you may," Philip replied. The eunuch then made the great confession, found in Acts 8:37, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." We must be willing to confess the same today.
To Be Baptized...
Baptism is the one condition that is often debated. We can debate as much as we desire, but baptism is present in all conversions from Pentecost in Acts 2 and onward. We see verses like Mark 16:15-16 saying "Go into all the world and preach... He that believes​ and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believes not shall be condemned." We see in Acts 8 with the aforementioned encounter with Philip and the Eunuch. Acts 8:36 shows that Philip began at the same scripture he was reading from Isaiah and"preached unto him, Jesus." The very next question in the same verse the eunuch asked "See, here is water. What hinders me to be baptized?" If baptism is not part of the conditions of salvation, and Philip preached unto him Jesus, then how did he know about it? Why then the desire to be baptized? Why the urgency? Remember they stopped the chariot and went into the water after the eunuch's confession. Earlier in chapter 8 we see many men and women, including Simon, who were baptized. Saul in Acts 9 was baptized. Cornelius in Acts 10 was baptized. Acts 16 shows us baptism with Lydia and her household, and the jailer and his household at Philippi. Galatians 3:27 tells us that as we are baptized INTO Christ we put on Christ. Romans 6 plainly describes what baptism is to us spiritually through obedience. Being buried with him, and raising to walk in newness of life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 refers to us a a new creature if we are in Christ...refer back to Galatians 3:27 and Romans 6. 1 Peter 3:21 says that "baptism does also now save us" it references back to Noah and his obedience. Jesus himself submitted to fulfilling all the righteousness of God by being baptized himself by John in Matthew 3:13-17.
To Remain Faithful...
Once we have been taught, established faith, repented of our sins, confessed the name of Jesus, and been immersed in the waters of baptism where the blood of Jesus has cleansed our sins through our submission and obedience, we must then remain steadfast in the Lord (1 Peter 5:10; James 1:12; 1 Corinthians 15:58). We must continue as a member of the Lord's body after we have obeyed all the conditions set forth by God's word. If we do, God has provided a place of constant rest, glory, joy, beauty, and peace. That "crown of righteousness" is only available to those who "remain faithful unto death" in Revelation 2:10.