HOW TO BE JUST A CHRISTIAN
In few places is there so much disagreement as in answering the Bible question, "What must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30) Here again churches of Christ reply by going to the scriptures for their answer. The Bible teaches that Christ shed His blood for our sins (Matthew 26:28), and that without it we cannot be saved. (Hebrews 9:22) But what does Jesus require of us if we are to receive that sacrifice? Those who crucified Him were told to "know assuredly" or believe that Jesus is "both Lord and Christ". (Acts 2:36) When these people on the day of Pentecost then asked for further information, they were told, "Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins." (Acts 2:38) Today we teach as did the apostles that for Christ's blood to remove our sins we must as believers in Him repent and be baptized. As we are thus saved from our sins, the Lord adds us to His body, the church. "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts 2:47) "for in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body." (1 Corinthians 12:13) The saved, then, are in the body or church of Christ; one cannot be saved and be outside this body.
If we follow the same teachings given to those first followers of Jesus, then we also can be just Christians. Christ said, "The seed is the word of God." (Luke 8:11) Just as surely as a planted acorn will produce only an oak, so God's Word will produce only Christians and nothing more. We invite your serious consideration to this plea. May God bless you, as you seek to do His will.