What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Dylan Stewart
08/05/24 - General

   We all need salvation because, without God’s plan of salvation, eternal death is the destination of every human being who succumbs to sin (Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:11-15). All who possess the ability to discern good from evil have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). We also know that sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2). As such, when we realize that we are in sin and become aware of the punishment for sin, we should desire to make things right with God and accept His plan of salvation. Thankfully, God has provided a way of redemption and reconciliation through His Son, Jesus the Christ (Romans 5:6-11). It is only through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, where he was crucified for the sins of the world, that we can be redeemed from our sins (Heb. 9:11-28; Heb. 10:1-18). The Bible makes it abundantly clear, however, that there is only one plan of salvation (Eph. 4:4-6).

   As the head of the church, Jesus set the terms for becoming a member of His spiritual body (Eph. 1:22-23). In other words, Christ and His gospel define the requirements for entry into His church and how to obtain salvation. It is by God’s grace that we are saved (Eph. 2:8-10), but salvation is conditional upon us meeting the requirements laid out in Scripture, and it is important to note that no singular verse will tell us everything that Jesus requires for us to be saved. Instead, we must examine the whole counsel of God in order to answer this most important question. So, what does the Bible tell us that God and our Lord requires in order for us to be saved?

1. Hear the Gospel – “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
2. Believe the Gospel to be True – “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6; see also John 3:16).
3. Repent of Our Sins – “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30; see also Luke 13:3-5).
4. Confess Christ – “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Rom. 10:9-10; see also Matt. 10:32-33).
5. Be Baptized – “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16; see also 1 Peter 3:21; John 3:5; Rom. 6:3-4).
6. Remain Faithful – “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).

We can see then at least six requirements laid out in the Scriptures showing the requirements for salvation. Through His grace, God provides every person the opportunity to know and understand this plan of salvation (Titus 2:11). 

   After the resurrection of Christ, His apostles began teaching this plan of salvation to people in hopes that they would enter into Christ. For example, in Acts 2:14-47 we can read about the very first occasion recorded in Scripture that the gospel was preached and people responded, were saved, and added to the church. Let’s examine this passage and see if their response is in line with the requirements listed previously.

1. They Heard the Word of God Preached – “But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them” (v.14); “And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation’” (v.40).
2. They Believed What They Heard – “And all who believed were together and had all things in common” (v.44).
3. They Confessed Their Belief – “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” (v.37).
4. They Repented – “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (v.38).
5. They Were Baptized and the Lord Added Them to the Church – “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’ . . . So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls” (v.38-41).
6. They Continued in Faith and Service to God – “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (v.42)

   We can see the consistency between the commands originally listed and the New Testament example of the Jews to whom Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost. If we do not hear the Word of God; believe it with all our hearts; confess that Jesus is the savior of the world who lived, died, and was resurrected in order that we might be saved from sin; repent and turn away from our transgressions against God; are baptized for the remission of sins; and strive to walk faithfully in service to God, then we have not truly received forgiveness of sins, nor have we met Christ’s terms of membership for entry into His church. In other words, we have not been saved. If you find yourself not in compliance with the Bible’s plan of salvation, you can change that today! You can make your life right with God. No matter how old you may be, it is not too late to make your life right by obeying the gospel of our Lord. 

   Are you among the saved? If you are not and would like to enter into that covenant relationship with God, having heard the Word proclaimed, believing and confessing Jesus to be the risen savior of the world, repenting and turning aside from your sins, desiring to be baptized for the remission of your sins to walk in newness of life, please contact us. We would love to assist you in obeying the gospel and helping facilitate you in your desire to become a Christian.

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