One must hear and receive the gospel/truth                                   Acts 2:22; James 1:18-21

One must believe and obey the gospel                                           John 3:16, 36; 8:24; Mark 16:15-16

One must decide to repent (stop/change) of his sins                     Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 2:38; 3:19

One must confess his faith                                                                Matthew 10:32-32; Acts 8:37; Romans 10:9-10

One must be baptized for the remission of sins                             Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38

One must remain faithful                                                                    Revelation 2:10

Upon your study of the plan of salvation, as the Lord commanded and authorized his apostles to go into the world and teach, you will notice, from Acts chapter two in your Bible and onward, everyone who responded to the gospel (i.e., the good news or message/doctrine) of Jesus Christ did so with a common and proper response like this:

 “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37).

Everyone, in their right mind, after hearing and believing the gospel, a message which established all the evidence and facts one needed to know in order to be saved; a very comprehensive system of salvation and one that promotes true spirituality, would respond readily or with gladness in their hearts ready to obey that message (Hebrews 11:1; Acts 2:41-47; 8:5-12).

None of the abovementioned things, in the plan of salvation, is more or less important than the other, but none of the things can be omitted before salvation is granted. For example: in Acts 2:38, baptism was and is for the remission of sins. And, as Paul concluded in Romans 6:7, 17-18, after one had obeyed from their heart, truly symbolizing their consummated faith in obeying the gospel, being then dead, they were freed from sin, “being then made free from sin…”. It is truly Jesus’ blood that saves, but that blood must be contacted.

That is why Paul wrote in Colossians 2:12: “Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead.” Further, He penned this in the same book (3:1-2): “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above not on things on the earth.” The person buried with Christ, in baptism, is the person that has received the remission of sins at the point of baptism, been risen with Him, and become dead to and freed from sin (study Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12). This is where a person contacts the blood of Jesus, in baptism (also study 1 Peter 3:21).