WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?

Acts 16:25–34 NKJV

²⁵ But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

²⁶ Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.

²⁷ And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.

²⁸ But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”

²⁹ Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.

³⁰ And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

³¹ So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

³³ And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.

³⁴ Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

DEFINITION

• To save—comes from the Greek word sozo, meaning to save, deliver, protect, heal, or preserve. Webster states that in theology it means to deliver a person or soul from sin and punishment or to redeem from spiritual death.

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES ON BEING SAVED

Let us note the following Scripture references that denote action on our part in order to be saved:

1. “Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21). Emphasis here is on the of God.

2. “Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved” (Proverbs 28:18). Emphasis here is on walking .

3. “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace”(Luke 7:50). Emphasis here is on .

4. “Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved” (Acts 11:14). (See Acts 10:1-48; 11:1-18.) Emphasis here is on the .

5. “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9). Emphasis here is on entering in the , i.e., Jesus.

6. “Even baptism doth also now save us” (I Peter 3:21). Emphasis here is on .

7. “Save yourselves from this untoward generation” (Acts 2:40). Emphasis here is on our own responsibility in our salvation.

8. “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 45:22). Emphasis here is on to God for our salvation.

9. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31). Emphasis here is on .

10. “For by grace are ye saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). Emphasis here is on and .

11. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). Emphasis here is on on the name of the Lord.

12. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus 3:5). Emphasis here is on .

13. “He that endureth to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 10:22). Emphasis here is on .

14. “For we are saved by hope” (Romans 8:24). Emphasis here is on .

15. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). Emphasis here is on and being in water.

16. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). Emphasis here is on and .

FAITH

From the Bible we learn that it is essential to believe God and His Word, or we will never take a positive step toward being saved. Faith is an absolute prerequisite in coming to God. Yet faith in the sense of mental belief or assent is insufficient to obtain salvation from sin. Let us study the following verses of Scripture that relate to salvation:

1. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

2. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoso- ever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

3. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

4. “In whom ye also trusted . . . [and] in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13).

5. “It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (I Corinthians 1:21).

REPENTANCE

Repentance is one of the cardinal doctrines of the Bible. It is an action on our part in response to God’s grace and because of our belief that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. Our repentance demonstrates that we believe God and His Word, for God’s Word plainly and simply teaches that we must repent:

1. “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3)

2.   “…Repent and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

3. “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17).

4. “But now [God] commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30).

5. “But [God] is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9).

6. “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47).

7.   “Then Peter said unto 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).

BAPTISM

Water baptism by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ is an essential part of salvation. The Scripture says that it is the means by which the blood of Christ washes away sin (Acts 22:16). We receive remission of sins through baptism in His name (Acts 2:38).

1. “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).

2. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). We note that name here is singular. The name must be used in baptism, not simply the titles Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

3. “…and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38).

4. Study these verses on the subject of baptism: Luke 24:47; Acts 2:41; 8:12-16; 10:44-48; 19:1-7; 22:16; Romans 6:3-4; I Corinthians 6:11; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12; I Peter 3:20-21.

HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is the Comforter whom Jesus sends back into the hearts and souls of those who believe in Him. The church of God, which He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28), began on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). On that day many received the Holy Spirit evidenced by speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gave them the utterance. This experience is available today and is essential in our lives (Romans 8:9).

1.   John the Baptist, speaking of Jesus, said, “He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). (See Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33.)

2.   “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence” (Acts 1:5). (See John 7:37-39; 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:7-13.) Jesus was teaching about
the Holy Spirit in these verses.

3. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4).

Acts 4:12 NKJV

¹² Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”