Branhamism teaches a distinctive understanding of salvation centered on the Acts 2:38 formula: repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus Christ (not the Trinitarian formula), and the infilling of the Holy Spirit evidenced by speaking in tongues. Salvation is understood as enrollment in the 'bride of Christ'—a predestined elect group prepared for rapture before the tribulation.

Crucially, Branham's theology incorporates strict Calvinist predestination, teaching that only the spiritually predestined can experience true salvation. The 'serpent seed' doctrine—the belief that Cain was the literal offspring of Eve and the Serpent—is central: non-elect individuals, regardless of their actions, cannot obtain salvation because they lack the divine seed. For the elect, salvation means receiving the fullness of the Message and its revelation as restored by Branham.