What Must I Do To Be Saved

The jailer in the book of Acts 16:30, asks a question that we all would like to hear each and everyone that we know that is lost ask, "What must I do to be saved". A question that did not go unanswered. Paul and Silas said simply, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ". Not only would he believe, but his whole house would be saved and baptized.

So the question still remains, what must I do to be saved. This can be answered in the following ways.

First, we must see the need for our need for salvation. Rom.3:23, 5:12, Gal. 3:22, Heb 2:3, John 3:18, 36.

We all have come short of the glory of God. This glory was seen in the Old Testament in the pillar of the cloud that lead the children of Israel, the congregation of Kadesh, and in the Temple of Solomon. In the New Testament it is seen in the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only in life but in and through his acceptance of the death, burial, and resurrection of his son. We are all born under the curse and bondage of sin due to Adams sin. Eve transgressed but sin came into the life of future generations when Adam accepted the fruit and therefore sinned against God. The only way out of this bondage and out from under this curse is by accepting Christ as our Lord and Saviour.

Secondly, we must see him as our substitution. Rom. 5:8, John 3:16, and John 15: 13.

I am so glad that he, Jesus, commended his toward me! This means that he not only said that he loved us enough to give his life for us, but he demonstrated this love as well. Not only did he die for me, but he died for the church, Eph. 5:25, and he died for the world, Heb 2:9. In the Old Testament, and the Old Testament being a shadow of things to come, and always pointing to a Saviour, this same type of love was demonstrated in the truth of Abraham and Issac with the ram being the substitute. What a wounderful illustration this is that God would love his own that he would provide a complete substitute.

Thirdly, we must see the penalty for sin. Rom.6:23, and Gen 2:17.

You may ask yourself why Genesis as a reference? Well this is explained easily. It is here that we not only see the first sin, but we see the first mention of a penalty for sin. It was to Eve who first transgressed in the form of painful childbearing and in the complete subjection to Adam her husband. It was to Adam in the form of having to toil and labor by the sweat of his brow that he would find Gods penalty for sin. Both were faced with the same penalty, and that being death. Death is a physical seperation of the body from the soul, and the spiritual death being the eternal seperation from one another and from God in the Lake of Fire,Rev. 20:15. If people do not see the penalty for sin, then salvation will not be named among them.

Fourthly, we must see there is a sure salvation. Rom. 10:9-10, 13, John 1:12, and 1 John 5:13.

Truely the only way to gain salvation is by believeing in Jesus Christ as not only your Lord but as Saviour. There never has been any other way but through him. Not of works, for we could not work long enough or be good enough to gain our own salvation. Salvation is what occurs on the inside and is manifestedon the outside by the visible changes that take place. Salvation constitutes, 1. deliverence, 2. safety, 3. preservation, 4. healing, and 5. soundness. Salvation works in three phases: 1. From the guilt and penalty of sin, 2. from the habit and doinion of sin, and 3. From the final results of sin. If salvation does all of this, why would anyone not want it?

I'm afraid that we as its recipients are not doing a very good job sharing what salvation will take away, but what it will give them if they would but receive the one who has given his life for it. GOD HELP US ALL TO SHARE YOUR LOVE WITH OTHERS, AND THAT YOU GAVE YOUR LIFE FOR THEM !!!