What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Are you exploring the profound question: "What Must I Do To Be Saved?"

If you are seeking a deeper understanding of Christian salvation, this message aims to simplify the core concept while acknowledging its rich complexities.

Life in this world is passing away, much like the fading of a flower or the disappearance of the morning star. For many Christians, what truly matters is the security and assurance of the life to come—an assurance found within the doctrine of salvation.

Therefore, in exploring "WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?", we will look at the essential requirements while considering the broader scope of salvation as understood across Christian traditions.

What Is The Meaning Of Salvation?

Before fully embracing the concept, it helps to understand The Meaning Of Salvation.

Salvation can be defined as the saving of one's soul from the penalty and power of sin and death. When a person is said to be saved, it means they have been delivered from spiritual alienation and restored into a right relationship with God.

This deliverance includes the associating words: freedom, deliverance, redemption, and justification. Ultimately, to be saved from the penalty of death is to be delivered into Life Eternal with Christ.

Is Salvation For All?

The Christian understanding begins with the existence of sin, which alienated humanity from God. The Bible teaches that salvation is offered universally because of the universal nature of sin.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23).
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23).

While sin yields spiritual death, salvation—through Christ—offers redemption and entry into Life Eternal. The offer is universal, though its reception is a matter of individual response.

Is Salvation A Free Gift?

Christian theology universally affirms that salvation from sin and eternal condemnation is God's free gift (grace).

Salvation Is A Gift, Paid in Full

The reason salvation is a gift is that the Giver, God, through Christ, already worked and paid the full price for it because no human effort could ever meet God's standard.

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18).

This gift is received not by human works, but by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who paid the debt of sin in full so that humanity could be reconciled to God.

The Key Question: What Must I Do To Be Saved?

The most direct scriptural answer to the question of receiving salvation is found in the New Testament. In Acts 16, a prison keeper, terrified by an earthquake that freed his prisoners (Paul and Silas), asked them:

"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30).

Paul and Silas gave a clear and foundational answer:

"...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:31).

The Prerequisite: Belief

Belief (or Faith) is the essential prerequisite for salvation in Christianity.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).

This faith is not mere intellectual assent; it is an active trust and surrender to the person and work of Christ.

Salvation as a Process: Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification

For a balanced Christian perspective, it is important to recognize that salvation is often understood as having three distinct tenses (past, present, and future) or stages:

1. Justification (The Past Tense)

This is the initial saving act when one first believes.

Meaning: God declares the believer righteous based solely on Christ’s sacrifice. It is the moment one is saved from the penalty of sin.
Received by: Faith in Jesus Christ.

2. Sanctification (The Present Tense)

This is the ongoing process of spiritual growth and transformation after initial belief.

Meaning: God works in the believer's life to make them more holy, changing their behavior and character. It is the process of being saved from the power of sin.
Lived out by: Discipleship, obedience, and the work of the Holy Spirit.

3. Glorification (The Future Tense)

This is the final, completed state of salvation.

Meaning: The believer receives a new, perfect body and is made eternally perfect in heaven. It is the hope of being saved from the very presence of sin.
Completed when: The believer is reunited with Christ in eternity.

For the faithful today, salvation is therefore not just a one-time event (justification), but a lifelong journey (sanctification) with an assured final hope (glorification).

Conclusion

The foundational answer to "What must I do to be saved?" remains Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. However, true Christian life involves embracing this belief through an active, lifelong commitment that encompasses worship, good works (as evidence of faith), and spiritual growth within the community of faith.