What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Our Predicament: Sinners Condemned Before God
The Bible says that sin is the transgression of the law and that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (1 John 3:4; Romans 3:23). "All" includes you and me. Have we at any time taken something that was not ours? Have we ever coveted someone else's possession? Have we at one time or another taken God's name in vain? Have we ever lusted after a person in our heart? Have we ever in our lifetime lied? These are just a few of the many questions that could be asked to help us see that we have all sinned, that we have all transgressed God's law.

What happens as a result of our sin? The Bible says, "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear" (Isaiah 59:2). Sin has separated us from God, breaking the fellowship we once had with Him.

What is the punishment for sin? The Bible says, "the wages of sin is death," eternal separation from God in hell (Rom. 6:23; Luke 12:4-5). Because of our sin we all stand condemned, "having no hope and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12). There is nothing we can do on our own to bring ourselves back into fellowship with God.

Christ, The Answer To Our Sin Problem
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us," has provided a way for us to be saved from the eternal consequences of our sin (Ephesians 2:4). The way is through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus came to this earth, lived among men for about 33 years, preached the good news of the kingdom, and then died for our sins. While we have sinned, Jesus committed no sin, and was therefore qualified to pay the price for our transgressions. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus shed His blood on the cross that we might be saved (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:19).

Is There Anything We Must Do?
Some would have us believe that there is nothing man must do in order to be saved by the blood of Jesus. If this were true, however, all men would be saved. But the Bible says that "few" will be saved in comparison to the "many" who will not (Matthew 7:13-14).

The truth is, there are some conditions we must meet in order to be forgiven of our sin and thus saved. Please do not misunderstand: meeting these conditions in no way makes us deserving of salvation. We are all unworthy of such. But these conditions must be met nonetheless. Please read on, and see how the Scriptures point out the necessity of each of the following.

We Must Believe In Jesus
Jesus Himself said, "for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (John 8:24). He said, "He who does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:16). We must "believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:37). These are plain statements. If we do not believe that Jesus is God's Son, we will be lost.

Truly, Jesus is the Christ. This faith in Jesus comes by hearing God's word, and by no other means. God will not miraculously give us faith, nor will we derive such by reading the books of men. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).

Though many teach today that one can be saved by 'faith alone,' the Bible teaches just the opposite. While it tells us that we are "justified by faith," it also says that we are "justified by works and not by faith only" (James 2:24). Faith in Jesus is necessary, but "faith only" will not save. 

We Must Repent Of Our Sins
Jesus said, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). His apostles also taught the necessity of repentance. Peter taught to "repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out..." (Acts 3:19).

To repent means to turn or change. It is more than just "feeling sorry" for our sins. We must change our minds and actions, leaving the pathway of sin. "For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death" (2 Corinthians 7:10). To truly repent, the thief must stop his stealing. The sexually immoral must cease his fornication. The liar must quit lying. This is true repentance (please see Luke 3:8, 10-14).

We Must Confess Our Faith In Jesus
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" (Matthew 10:32-33). The apostle Paul wrote, "For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation" (Romans 10:10). This is the confession we read the Ethiopian treasurer making in Acts 8:37.

We Must Be Baptized Into Christ
Jesus said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16). Notice that He did not say, "He who believes will be saved, and then should be baptized." Jesus placed baptism before salvation, not after.

Peter told his audience on the day of Pentecost, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..." (Acts 2:38). Notice that this apostle (as Jesus) put baptism before the remission of sins, not after. Repentance and baptism were "for" (Greek, eis, "unto") the remitting of sins. Later, Peter wrote, "There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism..." (1 Peter 3:21).

Jesus' prophet, Ananias, told an already believing Saul of Tarsus, "And now, why are you waiting? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins" (Acts 22:16). If Saul was already saved before his baptism (as some affirm), why then did he still have sins that needed to be washed away?

Further, Paul the apostle wrote that we put "off the body of sins of the flesh" by being "buried with [Christ] in baptism" (Colossians 2:11,12). Notice that baptism is a burial, a burial in water (see also Romans 6:4). The Greek word, "Baptizo," literally means "to dip, immerse, to plunge." Nowhere does the New Testament give any indication that people were sprinkled with water or that they had water poured on them. Baptism is a burial in water.

Baptism is necessary for salvation. It puts us "into Christ," in whom are all spiritual blessings (Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 1:3). Can we assist you in being baptized into Christ and thus becoming a Christian?

We Must Continue To Be Faithful Disciples Of Christ
Jesus commanded His apostles to teach those they baptized "to observe all things" that He had commanded them (Matthew 28:19-20). True disciples of Christ seek to practice the teachings of Jesus as revealed in His New Testament. "And whatever [we] do in word or deed" -- in every facet of life (job, home, worship, etc.) -- we are to "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Colossians 3:17). This includes joining together with other faithful disciples in a local church relationship (Acts 9:26).

We are commanded to "be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58). We are to "be faithful unto death" (Revelation 2:10). If, after we are baptized, we do sin, we can come in repentance to our heavenly Father, confess our sins, and our Father will forgive us (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9).

Can we help you in coming to Christ?