What did Christ command us to do in order to be saved and inherit eternal life?

Jesus while on earth prepared men to be received into His church (kingdom) when it came.  Jesus, by His own words, gave a pattern which became the authority for New Testament salvation:

1. Hearing  Jesus said, John 12:47-48, "'And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.  He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him; the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.'"  Salvation requires hearing.
   
    
2. Believing  Jesus said, in John 5:24, "'Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.'"  In John 8:24 he said "'Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.'" Thus, salvation requires believing, as well as hearing.
   
    
3. Repentance  Mark 1:14-15, "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel.'"  Jesus said, in Luke 13:3, "'...unless you repent you will all likewise perish.'"  Salvation requires repentance, as well as hearing and believing.
   
    
4. Confession  In Matthew 10:31-32, Jesus said, "'Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.'"  Hearing, believing, repentance and confession.
   
    
5. Baptism  Matthew 3:5-6 says, "Then Jerusalem...went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins."  Luke 3:3 says that John "went into all the region...preaching a baptism of repentance for [the purpose of] the remission of sins."  John's baptism was a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4).   John 4:1-2 says:  "Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples)."  John's baptism and the baptism the disciples of Jesus offered were for the same purpose.  
   
   Under the New Covenant, Acts 2:38, Peter said to those who heard and believed, "'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.'"  Mark 16:16 says "'He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.'"  And in Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus says "'Go therefore...baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.'"  One of those things the Lord commanded was baptism.  The baptism was still for the remission of sins but now was extended to believers by the authority (in the Name of) Christ.   Salvation requires hearing, believing, confessing, repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
   
    
6. Faithfulness  In John 15:10, Jesus said, "'If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.'"  Again in John 14:21:  "'He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.  And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.'"  Verse 23: "'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.'"  Salvation requires faithfulness (Revelation 2:10).
   
    

This, then, becomes the authoritative New Testament pattern for us to follow today.

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