Salvation, as prophesied about in the Law and Prophets, is about the forgiveness of sins. Sin is the calamity that everyone faces. It began in the garden of Eden with Adam and all, since then, have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, (Romans 3:23, 5:12). Until Christ came there was no forgiveness. The Law, with all its rules and ordinances, provided for atonement, but the High Priest still had to go into the holiest of all (Heb. 9:3-7) each year with blood for his and the people's sins. Christ entered once for all, Hebrews 9:12, to bring eternal forgiveness. Man, by sinning, separates himself from God, and without forgiveness, is doomed to the second death, Revelation 21:8 & II Thess. 1:9.

OBTAINING SALVATION

We obtain salvation when we, in faith, obey the gospel of Christ. We keep salvation by continuing to walk in the light because this is the condition for continuing forgiveness, I John 1:7. Before we can have the continuing forgiveness, we must be in Christ, be part of the salvation that is through him and only through Him, Acts 4:12. We are baptized into Christ and into His death, Romans 6:3-4.

"Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

There are a number of passages which show that obedience is necessary. Romans 6:16-18 is very clear regarding this:

"Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness."

This agrees perfectly with Acts 2:37-38 which answers the question from their hearts, "What shall we do?" We find that repentance plus baptism brings about or accomplishes remission of sins. This, in every way, emphasizes faith, because we can obey only what we have heard and believed. Hebrews 5:9 says:

"And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him."

When the command to "Preach the gospel." was given, Mark 16:15-16 and Matthew 28:19-20, the message included the necessary obedience. "He that believes and is baptized..." and "Teaching them to observe..."

churches of Christ

Churches of Christ are local assemblies or congregations of the only church Jesus ever built. He clearly stated in Matthew 16:18:

"I will build my church."

The concept of denominations is not taught in the Bible. Division is condemned according to I Corinthians 1:10 and other scriptures. We often use the little "c" on purpose to emphasize that we do not consider church of Christ to be a name, but rather a description of each congregation's relationship to Christ. We belong to him and we are in his body.

I consider myself to be walking in the light, I John 1:7, with those who respect the authority of God's word. We do not add to and we do not take away from that Word. This means everything we believe and practice is to be found in that "faith, delivered once for all," Jude verse 3. We often find ourselves at odds even with others who are less conservative, because we must have a command, approved apostolic example or necessary inference to have authority to do something. Just because the Word does not say not to do something, is no reason for us to claim we can do it because the Bible doesn't say not to.

Man is given liberty in matters of opinion, but these matters are limited to those choices we have in accomplishing the things we are authorized to do. We do not have freedom to begin a practice that is not found in God's word. It can be said that the silence is just as authoritative as the teaching to do or not do a certain thing. When Jesus was asked by the chief priests and the elders of the people by what authority "he was doing those things," he responded by questioning  them, "The baptism of John -- where was it from? From heaven or from men?" They could not answer because if they said men, they feared the people who did believe John was sent from God, and if they said God, then they would have to answer to why they had not believed him. There were only two possible answers and they knew that. There are still only two possible answers, authority comes from either God or man. I choose God. If you are a member of a denomination, from where did that church and its teachings come? God or man?