What Must I Do to Be Saved?

A question that was asked in Biblical times (Acts 2:37) and is still asked today. A question that not only impacts our physical life and how we live it, but also our spiritual life and where we spend eternity. The question of “what must I do to be saved?” With a question this important, one must reason (Acts 17:2) from the scriptures about what is true and what is false. As you study this vital question, we pray that you earnestly seek the truth and allow the scriptures to speak for themself, setting aside preconceived notions and embracing what is found in God’s Word. To help simplify this question, we have broken down the questions into logical steps found throughout scripture and conversion stories recorded for us.

We need to realize that God has a path that leads to salvation.  It is not my path, some board or council’s path, some college of titled officials, or some church or religious institution’s entrance requirements.  It is God’s path, and as such He calls all men to come out of the world and be a part of His ekklesia, His church, those who have been ‘called out’ of the world, His own special people (1 Peter 2:9).

Step 1: Hear

 As part of God’s path for the salvation of man, man must hear the word of God.  Several Bible passages point this out.  Paul wrote, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17 NKJV).  If we are going to have faith in God, which is necessary for us to have, we must hear the word of God.  To come to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, we must hear the words of the Father.

How shall we hear God’s word?  Let us come back to Romans 10 to see what constitutes God’s plan for man to hear His word. 

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Romans 10:13-15

We must call on the name of the Lord, but to call on Him, we must believe in Him.  To believe in Him, we need to hear His words.  The act of preaching was and is God’s chosen mechanism for man to hear His word and come to faith.  

Hearing God’s word is an important first step.  It is by the good news of the gospel that we are called (2 Thessalonians 2:14).  It is by the word of God that we are to be a first fruit of all His creation (James 1:18).  It is by our acceptance of God’s word that the word can be implanted in our hearts, which will lead us to salvation (James 1:21).  We must hear God’s word in order that we do not deny its power of salvation (Romans 1:16).  

To be saved, we must have faith in God.  However, to develop faith, we must first hear the word of God.  Let us strive to understand what God’s word says, especially regarding the salvation of our everlasting souls.

Step 2: Believe

Once we have heard the word of God, the next step on God’s path to salvation is to believe and have faith.  Faith, we are told, comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17).  So we are not to just be hearers only, but the word of God is to build our faith in God.  We must be doers of the word (James 1:22).  Therefore, we need to act upon what we hear.  

Notice also that our faith is not a blind faith, which is based upon nothing more than our feelings and emotions.  Belief based upon nothing (no evidence) is irrational.  Consider that, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).  Faith has substance and evidence.  John wrote in his gospel that what was recorded was written so that we might believe (John 20:30-31).  Paul also reminds us that there is evidence for God (Romans 1:18-23).

Additionally, we must believe in God to come to Him and be saved.  “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” (Hebrews 11:6).  So, we must have faith to please Him.  We must believe that God is to come to Him, or else why would we?  Who would strive to approach a god that they did not believe in?  Please understand that to be rewarded by God with salvation, we must diligently seek Him.  

Faith in Him is much more than believing that He exists.  He has promised eternal life to those who will do His will and keep His commandments (Matthew 7:21; John 14:15, 21; 15:10).  John wrote the following by inspiration:

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.  Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:1-5

In order to overcome the world, to be a child of God and have the salvation that He freely offers, we must have faith in God and His promises and show our love by keeping His commands.

Step 3: Confess

Once we have heard God’s word and believe it to be true, we have to be willing to confess what we believe.  Just as Paul instructed Timothy, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:12 NKJV), we too are to make a public confession of our faith.

In this confession we are demonstrating our decision to follow Jesus and obey His will.  If our confession is only stating that we believe God exists and Jesus is His Son, then we have only paid lip service to God.  Satan and the demons know that God exists (Matthew 8:28-29).  Yet they are not saved, since they will not submit to God.  “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!  But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:19-20).

So then, when we confess that we believe in Christ, we are stating that we will be faithful and loyal to Him.  It means that we are pledging ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2).  This confession is required for us to have salvation.  God offers us His free gift of grace.  There is no way we can pay for it or earn it.  But we must be willing to accept His gift of salvation.\

Jesus said that whoever would confess Him, He would confess before His Heavenly Father (Matthew 10:32).  That is a great deal!  We will never find a better deal!  Paul wrote, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

Our belief must move us to action.  Just knowing that God exists only puts us on the same level as demons.  We must submit to His will and do all He says to have salvation.  God says to confess Christ with our mouths, by our actions, and through our lives.  If we do that, we are moving toward heaven!

Step 4: Repent

The next step in God’s path to salvation is to repent of the things that we have done that are not in agreement with God’s word.  Jesus Himself taught that repentance was necessary when He said that unless we repent, we would all perish (Luke 13:3, 5).

Similarly, Paul preached the necessity of repentance to those in Athens.  Regarding their past ignorance he said, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).  Notice that God calls upon all men everywhere to repent.  That means that no one is exempt from this command.

Later, Paul said God wants all men to know the truth and be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).  Peter also explained that God is not wanting anyone to perish spiritually.  He wishes for all of mankind to repent of any wrongdoing (2 Peter 3:9).  Since many years have passed since the sacrifice of Jesus, many might doubt the second coming.  However, God is patient with us.  He wants all men everywhere to repent and obey His will.

So, what is involved in repentance?  Is it just saying we are sorry, or we are sorry we got caught?  We must not think that repentance is just a feeling of momentary sorrow with no change in mindset or direction.  Paul explained this in writing to Corinth:

Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.  For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.  For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter

2 Corinthians 7:9-11

Paul is not rejoicing in their sorrow, but in the fact that they repented.

It is our godly sorrow that will cause us to repent.  Our change of mind and direction will help lead us to salvation.  Let us throw our sins behind us and run our race unencumbered by sin (Hebrews 12:1).  Let us repent of actions that do not match God’s will, so we can have that hope of eternal salvation when our life on earth is over!

Step 5: Baptized for Remission of Sins

After hearing and believing the Word and having submitted to God by confessing our allegiance to Christ and repenting of the things we are doing that are wrong, we can become a child of God by being baptized for the remission of our sins.  This step in God’s path to salvation is simple and is what God directs us to do.  Jesus and His Apostles commanded baptism.  Paul was instructed to be baptized.  All of those who converted to Christianity in Acts were baptized for salvation.  

As Jesus was bidding His disciples farewell before returning to heaven, He gave some final instructions.  “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned’” (Mark 16:15-16 NKJV).  Jesus stated that the one who is a believer and has been baptized will be saved.  Thus, baptism is for believers.  If we do not believe, then baptism will only get us wet.  

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus commanded to make disciples in all nations (Matthew 28:19).  How were they to make disciples?  Jesus said that they were to baptize them and teach them to observe all His commands (Matthew 28:19-20).  That is how disciples are made.  If you have not been baptized, then you are not yet a disciple of Christ.

Paul wrote, “. . . 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” (Romans 6:3-4).  Being buried with Him is when we contact His blood, so our sins will be forgiven.  

Peter said that baptism was the act that removes our sins when he preached to the crowd on the day of Pentecost.  They were convinced that they had put the Son of God to death and wanted to know what they could do to get out of such a terrible predicament (Acts 2:22-37).  “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38).  Peter did not say to just accept Jesus in your heart or to say a “sinners’ prayer,” which is not found in Scripture, to be saved.  He told them to repent and be baptized.  One is no good without the other.  

One last example to consider is the conversion of Paul.  Paul was told by Jesus to, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:6b).  In Damascus he was told what he must do to be saved.  When Ananias came to him, he said, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).  Notice that Paul was not saved by seeing or speaking to Jesus.  If he had been, then why would Ananias have to tell him to be baptized to wash away his sins?  

The Bible tells us that all spiritual blessings are to be found in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3).  So how do we get in Christ to receive all of these blessings?  We get in Christ by being baptized into Christ.  “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27).  We must be in Christ to receive the blessings.  We get in Christ by obeying what He has told us to do in being baptized.  

Want to Learn More?

Have a question and want to learn more about our the plan of salvation? Complete the form below and we will gladly reach out and help you with any question you have.