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What Must I Do To Be Saved

No greater question has ever entered the mind of any person! And no greater quest has been pursued than the answer to this important question! What must I do to be saved? Have you ever asked that question? If not, why not? How do you think this question can be answered? Will the answer be found in the creeds, catechisms, or councils of the various denominations? Certainly not! For they all teach something different in answer to this question. Where, then, can the answer to life’s most important question be found?

Many people were saved in New Testament times. And, they were all saved under the direction and doctrine of the apostles who had been commissioned by Jesus himself to go into all the world and to preach the gospel so that people could be saved (Matt. 28.18–20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24.45–49). If it can be discovered how people in the first century were saved, then the answer will be found to how people can be saved in the twenty-first century. This is especially true if it is discovered that every person saved in New Testament times was saved in the same way. Let’s see.

Jews on Pentecost. The record of the conversion of 3,000 Jews on the first Pentecost after Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection is recorded in Acts 2.14–41. What did they do to be saved?

In verses 14–35, 38–40, they heard the gospel.
In verses 36, 41, 44, they believed in the gospel.
In verses 37, 38, they were told to repent of their sins.
In verse 47, Luke implies they had confessed their faith in Jesus.
In verses 38, 41, they were baptized for the remission of their sins.
In verses 38, 47, these things are said to have resulted in their being saved.

Samaritans. The record of the conversion of the first Samaritans is in Acts 8.5–13. What did they do to be saved?

In verses 5, 12, they heard the gospel.
In verse 5, it is said that they believed in the gospel.
In verses 9, 10, Luke told of their sins of which they repented.
In verses 10, 12, Luke implies they confessed their faith in Jesus instead of Simon.
In verses 12, 13, they were baptized for the remission of their sins (cf. verse 16).
In verse 16, it is said they had been saved (baptism in the name of Jesus is for the remission of sins according to Acts 2.38).

Ethiopian Eunuch. The record of the conversion of the first African is in Acts 8.26–39. What did he do to be saved?

In verse 35, he heard the gospel.
In verses 36, 37, he believed in the gospel.
In verse 36, he repented of his sins (he had been worshiping God under the Law of Moses that was no longer in effect and turned to serve God under the New Covenant).
In verse 37, he confessed his faith in Jesus.
In verse 38, he was baptized for the remission of his sins (according to Acts 10.47, 48, baptism in water is the same as baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, which according to Acts 2.38 is for the remission of sins).
In verse 39, he went on his way rejoicing knowing he was now saved.

These are the first three recorded cases of conversion in the New Testament. Do you notice anything similar among them? Yes, so far all of the people who were saved did exactly the same thing to be saved. They firstheard the gospel, then they believed in the gospel, next they obeyed the gospel by repenting of their sins,confessing their faith in Jesus, and being baptized or immersed in water for the remission of their sins.

If you stopped your search right here, you would know what they did in the first century to be saved and would then know what you need to do in the twenty-first century to be saved. But consider the following chart that documents the cases of conversion that are recorded in the New Testament:

cases of conversion chart

As you can see, every case of conversion in the New Testament involved the people hearing the gospel,believing the gospel, repenting of their sins, confessing their faith in Jesus (as commanded in Rom. 10.9,10), and by being baptized into Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins. Wow! This sounds a lot different than what you hear in most churches today, but this is exactly what they did in the first century to be saved and this is exactly what all people in the twenty-first century must do to be saved!

A common passage connected with salvation is Ephesians 2.8, 9, “for by grace have you been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should boast.” But, if you’ll notice in the chart, before Paul said this to the Ephesians they too had heard the gospel, believed the gospel,repented of their sins, and had been baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of their sins. Today, if you want it to be said of you that you have been saved by grace through faith like it was said of the Ephesians, then you must do what they did before this can be said of you.

Also consider that Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18.3, NASU). What does it mean to be converted? After studying all the passages where this word and its various forms is found, B.F. Manire summarized the meaning of conversion by stating: “Conversion [is] defined as the turning of the whole man in heart and life from the love and practice of sin to the love and service of God, including a change of state, or relationship towards God.” We see then that conversion is summed up in three categories: 1) a change of heart, 2) a change of conduct, and 3) a change in relationship with God. So how is a person converted?

Through belief your heart is changed, John 3.16; 8.24; Hebrews 11.6.
Through repentance your conduct is changed, Luke 13.3; Acts 2.38; 17.30, 31.
Through baptism your relationship with God is changed, Mark 16.16; Acts 22.16; Galatians 3.26, 27.

Have you been saved? Have you obeyed the gospel? Have you been truly converted? If not, why not? Please let us know how we can assist you in answering life’s most important question, “What must I do to be saved?”

The following articles on this subject may also be of interest to you. In 2007 we ran a series of 13 articles connected with salvation. The articles are as follows:

Date	Title	Author	Topic