Question:
What must I do to be saved?
Answer:
In Luke 19:10 Jesus summed up His mission on earth
saying, “...the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which
was lost.” Thus, when someone asks “what must I do to be saved?”
they realize two things.
First, the question implies we realize we are lost. Isaiah 59:2
says, “...your iniquities have separated you from your God.” Romans
3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
This sin keeps us from heaven (Romans 6:23).
Second, the question also indicates we realize God can do
something to help rescue us from the consequences of our sin—guilt,
shame, fear, hell. One of God’s greatest gifts is the grace He shows to
us. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” So, God’s
grace is definitely involved in our salvation. He extended that grace to
us by giving us “His only begotten Son” (John 3:16).
Yet, His grace also teaches us (Titus 2:11,12). We learn from Paul that
God expected preachers to preach God’s message so that people could be
saved. 1 Corinthians 1:21 says, “For since, in the wisdom of God...it
pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save
those who believe.” This process might seem too simple for some—yet
hearing the preaching of the gospel message is the first step to
salvation.
In fact, Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God.” So, God has done His part—you must
listen to His Word to find out your part in this salvation.
After hearing the message of Jesus Christ, you must believe He is the
Son of God and “Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36; 8:37).
Romans 10:9,10 couples this belief of the heart with a confession of the
mouth. “...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe
in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation.”
Yet, the gospel does not stop there. The Scriptures also teach we must
turn from our sins and follow Christ’s teaching and be baptized for the
remission of our sins (Acts 2:38). Jesus said, “He who believes and
is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be
condemned" (Mark 16:16).
In addition, Revelation 2:10 commands we be “faithful unto death.”
Have you been and are you staying saved?
August 2005