What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Are you a Christian?

It is vital to one's salvation from sin that he understand what is necessary to being a Christian. In this lesson we will study what the Bible says about this all-important subject.

In the New Testament, in the book of Acts, the Bible first uses the term Christian. In Acts 11:25-26 we read: "Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
" Some believe that the term Christian originated with enemies of the first disciples of Jesus Christ. Yet, the prophet Isaiah spoke of a new name for those who would serve God. He wrote: "The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow." (Isaiah 62:2). Notice that this new name would be given by the Lord and that it would be given when the Gentiles would see the righteousness of God. Friends, in Acts 10 the Bible gives the account of the first Gentile converts as Peter taught those whom Cornelius called together who accepted and obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not insignificant that the very next chapter records the fact that the disciples of Jesus were called Christians.

Sadly, there is a great deal of misunderstanding regarding Christianity today. People have concluded, and wrongly so, that every person who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is automatically a Christian. However, the New Testament makes a distinction between believers and Christians. One may believe and not be a Christian. The Bible says in James 2:19 "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder." Surely none of us would accept that simply because the devils believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God that they are automatically saved. Then why would we believe the same about ourselves?

Jesus spoke of some in His day who believed that He was the promised Messiah but who remained unsaved. The Bible says in John 12:42 "Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;" Remember that Jesus said in Matthew 10:32-33 ""Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven." To refuse to confess Jesus is to deny Him. The chief rulers believed on Him but they would not confess their faith in Christ before men and therefore Jesus would not confess them before the Father. Yes, one may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God but becoming a Christian involves more than mere belief. Jesus said "If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 14:15). Do you think that one could be saved without loving Christ? Yet, love for Christ is expressed in ones willingness to submit himself to the commands that Jesus Christ has given recorded for us in the pages of the New Testament. It is sad that men have accepted the teaching that salvation is by "faith only," especially since the Bible so clearly says that it is not. You ask, where does it say that? In James 2:24 we read, "You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone." Is that clear enough friends? Will we accept it for what it says?

The problem that many have in understanding that salvation is not by faith only is in equating obedience to the commands of God with human works. Often when a subject like baptism is discussed men and women will deny its necessity and say that if you believe baptism is necessary to salvation then you are trying to earn your way to heaven by your own works. But the question must be asked, has baptism originated with men or with God? The obvious answer is that baptism is a command of God which can clearly be seen in several passages including Mark 16:16 and Acts 10:48. In Mark 16:16 Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize those who would believe the preaching of the gospel. And Acts 10:48 is in the context of the conversion of the Gentile Cornelius. There, God's preacher Peter commanded those who responded in faith to his preaching to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. When Cornelius and the others who heard the gospel on that occasion obeyed the command to be baptized into Christ, were they submitting to a work of men or a work of God? Friends, they were simply expressing their faith in obedience to the command of Jesus Christ. They were believers before they were baptized but not obedient believers. And the Bible plainly says in Hebrews 5:9 that Jesus is the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him. That leaves us with the question of what will happen to those who refuse to obey the commands of Christ revealed in the New Testament. And here too we have a divine answer. In 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 the Bible says that Jesus will come in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who know not God and obey not the gospel. Friends, one who refuses to obey Christ will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.

Obedience to the commands of Christ then is essential to one's salvation.

You can't be saved by "faith only." Men and women whose record of salvation is revealed for us in the book of Acts completed five steps in order to be saved from their sins. Over the rest of this lesson we will discuss these five steps.

First, they Heard the preaching of the gospel of Christ.

For example, in the case of the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8, Philip, the evangelist, began his teaching of the Eunuch as he started with a study of the words of the prophet in Isaiah 53, which foretold of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. The Bible says in Acts 8:35, "Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus." It should surprise none of us that this is the starting place for salvation. After all, the scriptures tell us "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17). And Jesus said "It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me." (John 6:45). No one can respond to God without first having been taught His will. Faith is not something that just happens or that is bestowed in some miraculous "better felt than told" way, but is the result of hearing the word of God.

Second, those saved in New Testament times Believed in Christ as the Son of God.

In other words, they accepted the truth they were taught about the suffering and death of Christ on the cross. They understood that they were sinners in need of salvation. Clearly this can be seen in the New Testament account of the conversion of those on Pentecost Day in Acts 2. Peter preached as recorded for us in Acts 2:36, "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
The response of those who heard these words is found in Acts 2:37, "When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" These men and women understood that they were sinners in need of salvation. It is no wonder that they asked what shall we do. When one realizes he is a sinner and lost he wants to know how he can be saved from his sins. He wants to know what he must do about his lost condition. Faith involves not only the acknowledgment that Jesus Christ is the Son of God but a conviction that one is a sinner and that Christ is the only hope of salvation from one's sins. In addition, genuine saving faith involves a willingness to respond to whatever it is that the Lord desires of one for salvation.

The third step in becoming a Christian is Repentance.

Those who wanted to know what to do to be saved from their sins in Acts 2 were told to repent and be baptized in verse 38. This was the inspired answer to their question of what shall we do. How does one obey this command to repent? Jesus tells us what is involved in this matter of repentance in Matthew 21:28-29. He said, ""What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
" These words of Jesus tell us that repentance involves a change of one's mind that results in a change of one's actions. The son first said he would not go and work in his father's vineyard but what happened? He changed his mind and went to work. You see the person who repents of sin will change his mind about being a participant in sin and will cease to participate in it. If a person has been a thief, when he repents he will stop stealing. If a person has been a drunkard, when he repents he will stop drinking. If a person has been involved in living with someone without the benefit of a scriptural marriage, then when he repents he will stop living with that person. If a person has been envious of another, when he repents he will stop being envious. If a person has not been serving the Lord, when he repents he will begin to serve the Lord.

Repentance also involves the matter of restitution when it is possible. For example, the thief who truly repents is not going to keep what he has already stolen. We can see this attitude of repentance expressed in the action of the jailer in Acts 16. On this occasion Paul and Silas were in prison for preaching the gospel of Christ. God sent an earthquake which opened all of the prison doors. When the jailer in charge of these prisons saw what had happened he took his sword and was about to kill himself but Paul stopped him saying "But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" The jailer then asked a question that should be on the lips and in the hearts of every person who desires salvation "What must I do to be saved?" Paul told this unbeliever that he must believe in Jesus Christ. But Paul and Silas didn't stop with that. The Bible says in Acts 16:32, "Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house." It was after hearing the word of the Lord that the jailer expressed his penitent heart as found in Acts 16:33, "At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized." Here was a man who just a few hours before has willingly accepted the beaten Paul and Silas as his prisoners and had fastened their feet fast in stocks but now he had a change of mind and treated Paul and Silas with kindness and was submissive to what they taught him to do for salvation.

The fourth step to salvation is the Confession of one's faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

The Bible shows clearly that such a confession is necessary for salvation in the words of Romans 10:9-10 "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Yes, confession is made unto salvation. Back in Acts 8, after the Ethiopian Eunuch had heard Christ preached unto him, the Bible says that they came to a certain water and the Eunuch requested to be baptized. The Eunuch clearly believed in Christ and desired to obey the Lord and receive the benefits of the sacrifice that was made on his behalf. But Philip told him, "If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." With that confession of faith Philip and the Eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized the Eunuch.

Some today will make the confession before baptism that "God for Christ's sake has pardoned their sins." But, no such confession is found in the New Testament. The proper confession is simply the expression of one's faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

The fifth step in becoming a Christian is Baptism.

Many people believe that baptism is an act that identifies one with a certain denomination or "church" and that is the extent of its significance. They view it as a "church ordinance." Most also believe that one is saved before and without being baptized. Some believe that there are various "modes" of baptism such as sprinkling, pouring and immersion, and that each are acceptable to God. Of course, we are interested in what the Bible says about the matter. Whatever man says, whether it has been believed for a long time or not, or whether it is part of a denominational creed, is not right unless the Bible teaches it. If the Bible teaches it as truth, them no matter what man might believe, it is the truth. If the Bible does not teach it, then it is error, regardless of how man reacts.

Friends, the Bible teaches that baptism is essential in the matter of receiving the forgiveness of sins and thus becoming a Christian. Those individuals in Acts 2 who responded to the preaching of Christ by asking men and brethren what must we do were given an answer inspired by the Holy Spirit. That answer, as we have already seen, included the necessity of repentance. But just as clearly stated in addition to repentance is the necessity of baptism for the remission of sins. Is it not strange, in view of modern teaching, that Peter did not answer these seekers of salvation by saying that since you are already believers in Christ that you have already received the remission of sins and you should therefore be baptized to show that you've been saved?

What does the phrase "for the remission of sins" mean?

Did you know this phrase is used only 3 other times in the New Testament. Jesus used the phrase in Matthew 26:28 where he said "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Now, how would you interpret this phrase in the context of Matthew 26? Would it be proper to conclude that Jesus was saying that He had shed His blood "because men's sins were already forgiven?" Obviously, "for the forgiveness of sins." in Matthew 26:28 means what it says, Jesus Christ shed His blood "in order that man might receive the forgiveness of sins."

Since this interpretation of Matthew 26:28 is correct, then why change the phrase in Acts 2:38? Friends, there is no valid reason for interpreting it differently. The reason men change Acts 2:38 is so that they can hang onto the old denominational idea that one is saved at the point of faith without obedience. Yet the Bible doesn't teach this false doctrine.

Did you know that Peter clearly stated that baptism saves? In 1 Peter 3:21 we read: "and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ" According to this passage, baptism saves us.

Have you been baptized?

Was that baptism in order to receive the forgiveness of your sins? If not, then you have not really been baptized, you've just been put under the water. Bible baptism is in order to receive the forgiveness of sins. Study Romans 6:3-5 where Paul writes: "Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection."

Friends, the belief that one is saved at the point of faith before and without these other steps which we have looked at in this lesson indicates a gross misunderstanding or a rejection of simple Bible truth. If one is saved without and before baptism then he is saved without the blood of Christ and before he receives the remission of sins. Who can believe it? We plead with you to accept what the Bible says is necessary to becoming a Christian and obey it today while time and opportunity are yours. Contact your local church of Christ and ask for a Bible study, or if you can't find a local church of Christ, e-mail me at frizzell@cswnet.com and we will do our best to get someone in contact with you. Don't let your soul's salvation depend upon man's doctrine.

Used by Permission -  Anchor Of The Soul