What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Salvation has never been optional according to the scriptures. It has always been Lord’s Way or the highway. It is Lord’s House, the Lord’s Rules, and the Lord’s Judgment. This has been established throughout the new testament in the teachings of Jesus and his blessed apostles.

THE GREAT COMMISSION

Before Jesus ascended back into heaven he left his apostles the great commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Jesus said, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be condemned. Mk 16:15,16 In Matthews account Jesus said, “ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, 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; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt 28:19-20 There is no account where Jesus commissioned his apostles to save all nations by belief only. There is no account where Jesus commissioned his apostles to preach the example of the thief on the cross. No!  There is no account where Jesus commissioned his apostles to sprinkle or baptize babies. Jesus commissioned his apostles to baptize all those who believe Jesus is the Christ the Son of God. This is what Christ commissioned, this is what the apostles preached, and this is what all must do in order to be saved!

THE DAY OF PENTECOST

On the day of Pentecost, Peter and the other apostles preached  to fellow Jews who had assembled from every nation. Acts 2:5 Peter proclaimed to this great multitude each in their own language, “It shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2:21 Yet, Peter continued to preach how Jesus had been taken by wicked hands, and crucified, and was resurrected from the dead. He spoke how the patriarch David foretold how that God would not leave Jesus’ soul in hell or allow his body to see corruption. Then Peter laid the sin at their door by saying, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36 Upon hearing this they asked, “Men and brethren what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38

If calling on the name of the Lord had saved this multitude by itself, then why did Peter continue by commanding them to repent and be baptized? And not only them, but to all future generations was this commandment given for he said, “The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.” Acts 2:39-40 Some will contend that ‘Jesus saved me’ by shedding his blood. Yet, here we have Peter proclaiming that we can save ourselves. How can we save ourselves? We save ourselves exactly like those on the day of Pentecost and that is by obeying that form of doctrine which was once delivered to us, that being, the gospel of Christ. Rom 6:17,18 So, what did the multitude do in order to save themselves? “Then they that gladly received his Word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:41 They continued in the apostle’s doctrine, and the Lord added them to the church such as should be saved. Acts 2:42,47

THE PHILLIPPIAN JAILER

The Philippian Jailer is case in point of a man who asked of Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved? This he asked after experiencing a great earthquake which had opened the prison’s doors and loosed the bands of the prisoners. Fearing that the prisoners had escaped he drew his sword to kill himself, but Paul and Silas comforted him by saying that they all were still there. Paul then answered his question by saying, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your house.” Acts 16:31 Now here is proof in action that belief alone saves no one for if it had, then there would have been no need  to do anything else. Yet, Paul continued speaking unto him the Word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. Acts 16:32 Peter established that by the Word of the Lord the gospel is preached. 1 Pet 1:25 Upon hearing the gospel the jailer and his house immediately the same night was baptized. Acts 16:33

WHAT ALL MUST DO TO BE SAVED

Upon seeing Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul of Tarsus trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Jesus said, “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what you must do.” Acts 9:6 Ananias days later commanded Saul to “Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins calling on the name of the Lord.”

Every Christian convert was commanded to be baptized. Why? Take note of what baptism is likened unto. Paul said, “Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Rom 6:3,4  Baptism , like the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ reveals to us that we must die to our sins and be raised to walk a new life in the doctrine of Christ. 2 Jn 9 As Christ had to die on the cross and be raised from the dead in order to please God the Father, even so we must be baptized and remain faithful unto death in order to please Christ. This is why all Christians assemble each Sunday to remember the Lord’s death and partake of the communion of the Lord. Acts 20:7 The bread is symbolic of the Lord’s body, and the fruit of the vine is symbolic of the Lord’s blood. Mk 14:22-26 f; 1 Cor 10:16 As often as we eat of this bread and drink of his cup we remember the Lord’s death till he come. 1 Cor 11:24-26

Therefore, all must HEAR the Gospel. 1 Cor 15:1-4 All must BELIEVE Jesus is the Christ with their heart and CONFESS their belief with their mouth before men. Rom 10:9,10 All must REPENT of their sins and wash them away by the means of BAPTISM. Acts 2:38 f; Acts 22:16 All such as do this are ADDED to the church of Christ by the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 2:47 All must remain FAITHFUL unto death in order to obtain a crown of life. Jn 8:31 f; Rev 2:10 Jesus and his apostles commanded it, all early day Christians obeyed it, and so MUST we today in order to be SAVED! DON’T DELAY, for today is the day of salvation. 2 Cor 6:2