What Must I do to be Saved?
Acts 16:27-30 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
What does it mean to be “saved?” The word invokes thoughts of rescue and of being spared from something. For example, a firefighter pulls someone from a burning house and saves them from certain death. A distracted person unwittingly steps onto a street to cross it, only to be snatched back at the last second, moments before the oncoming traffic reaches that very spot. The person turns and thanks the stranger behind for saving him.
In the context of Christianity, what is a “saved” person saved from? Let’s explore that thought.
1. WHAT must I do to be saved?
Exodus 14:30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
The Bible is often its own dictionary.
1 Samuel 10:18 And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you:
The word saved means delivered. In the case of Israel, they were delivered from the Egyptians. The question posed to Paul and Silas was not about a nation getting delivered. It was a question of personal deliverance asked by a desperate man. What could he have meant by the question? Was the jailer asking how to be delivered from his superiors? History suggests that Roman jailers who allowed prisoners to escape either faced the same punishment as those they were holding or else they were executed. Perhaps that is why he drew his sword to take his own life. But no, all the prisoners were present and accounted for. Knowing he had already been spared from potential retribution, he still asked the question, “What must I do to be saved?” It doesn’t seem reasonable to think he was talking about his physical life. The answer to his question, and what he did with that answer, are found in these subsequent verses.
Acts 16:31-34 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
The jailer was delivered and it caused him to rejoice. This deliverance changed his actions and his attitude. He was a different man. In fact, everyone in his household was different. We will consider more on that later. Being saved is being delivered from something. Let us now consider what that something is.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
What exactly is sin? Again, the Bible defines itself.
1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Sin is the act of breaking God’s law. The Bible says everyone is guilty of this. That is why the Bible calls us sinners. A sinner is someone who transgresses God’s law. One might ask how many sins does it take to become a sinner? Well, how many times must a person break the law to be guilty of breaking the law? It only takes one time.
James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Interestingly enough, we often focus on the “one point” part of that verse. But one point is just a single part of God’s law. The key word is “offend.” An offense is singular. It takes sinning one time, just one, to become a sinner, just like it takes one killing to become a murderer or one theft to become a thief. This is why all people are sinners. If you have ever met someone who claims they do not sin or have not ever sinned, it is because they do not understand what sin is and what it takes to become a sinner.
Romans 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Paul was quoting from Psalm 14:3.
Psalm 14:3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
It is obvious that some people do good deeds. That is not what these verses imply. Rather, the implication is that no person does good all the time.
Ecclesiastes 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Someone might do good deeds for a minute, an hour, a day even. But eventually, that person will do something that is not right, not good, and against God’s law. This is the truth of man-kind. We are all sinners. In fact, we are born with the inherited sinful nature of our father Adam.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
These verses and so many more make it very clear that all people are sinners. In fact, you can ask almost anyone you meet if they have ever done anything wrong. If they are honest, they will say yes, I have. God, the Creator of the universe, has established a punishment for those who have committed sin – those who have transgressed His law. That punishment is death.
Romans 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
We will consider this verse in more detail later. Some sins are worse than other sins, and our own hearts know this to be true. It is more sinful to kill someone than to slander them, right? Someone may say they hate so-in-so, but they would kill that person. Even in God’s law there were different punishments for different sins. Why? Because some sin requires greater punishment than other sins.
1 John 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
However, degrees of sin is purely in the context of daily living, not eternal consequence. All unrighteousness is sin, no matter how large or how small. Sin is sin.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The wages. When someone takes on a job, that person works that job for a certain period of time. Eventually, payday comes around and the person gets paid for the work they performed. In the context of sin and breaking God’s law, the payment is death.
What type of death does Romans 6:23 refer to? The word means something different depending upon how it is used. If someone dies and there is a funeral, we understand the person ceased to live because the body died. But if a person tells someone, “You are dead to me.” What does that mean? It means as far as they are concerned, that person is no longer in their life. This sounds metaphorical, but it is actually very important to understand that not all death is the same kind of death, just like not all life is the same kind of life. There is physical life and there is spiritual life. There is physical death and there is spiritual death.
John 3:5-7 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
There is a physical birth and there is a spiritual birth. They are not the same thing.
Back to the subject of death, there are at least three types of death spoken of in the Bible. In all three types of death, there is a common implication. Death is a state of separation. Separation is the essential meaning of death. Lets briefly mention the three types of death.
1. Physical death. This is separation of the soul from the body.
Genesis 35:18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Ben-oni: but his father called him Benjamin.
2. Eternal death. This is separation of the soul from God forever.
Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
3. Spiritual death. This is separation of the spirit from God.
Romans 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
We know what physical death looks like, so that is fairly obvious. But what about spiritual death and more importantly, eternal death? To answer that, we have to explore what the Bible teaches about man. Man (man-kind) is a three-part being. We have a spirit, a soul, and a body.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the context of death, and the wages of sin, we would ask what part of a person dies as a result of sin? The answer is potentially all three parts (body, soul, spirit). As we saw in Gen. 35:18, the body remains alive until the soul departs from it. At the moment of physical death, the soul is very much alive. In fact, it is not unreasonable to think the departing of the soul is the very thing that causes physical death. Someone has explained the soul as being the “real you.” The soul seems to be that part of us that is eternal. We deduce this from knowing that the body dies, and the spirit can be dead even though the body and soul are alive. Therefore, if the body can be in a state of death, and the spirit can be in a state of death, the soul must be that part of us that is eternal in the sense of never ceasing to exist.
Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
These are those who were saved but had been killed physically. Their souls were still very much alive.
Revelation 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
These are they who were not saved. Their souls will have no rest day or night, very much conscious.
The spirit, then, must be that part of a person that can be dead even though the person is physically alive.
Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Someone can be dead in their sins but still be physically alive? Yes, because it is the spirit of man that is dead in trespasses and sins.
Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
To be quickened is to make alive. Paul stated the believers used to be dead in trespasses and sins, but they were quickened, which means made alive. The soul is eternal. The body is temporary. The spirit is either dead or alive.
Here then is the comparison between the three types of death and the three parts of a person.
Body – Because we are sinners, we will one day physically die. Why? Because that is the payment for sin.
Soul – Because we are sinners, if we do not get saved (delivered) from the eternal punishment of our sin, we will face God’s judgment for sin which is eternal punishment of the soul.
Spirit – Because we are born sinners, we are born with a spirit that is dead in trespasses and sins. This is that part that can be made alive through salvation.
Remember, that death is by implication a state of separation. Interestingly, the Bible relates the spirit to the mind.
Ephesians 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Death is separation. A person with a dead spirit does not know God. They are separated from Him.
Colossians 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Having now understood that we are sinners sentenced to death for our sins, the plain understanding is that we need to be saved from the death sentence for sin. To be saved is to be delivered from the punishment of sin, which is death. But which death are we saved from?
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
salvation (getting saved) is not being saved from physical death. It is rather being saved from eternal death – that is, the separation of the soul from God.
Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
We have seen that the soul is eternal. But death is a state of separation, not a cessation of life. The soul lives forever, but in a state of eternal separation (death) from God as a punishment for sin.
Revelation 20:12-15 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
These verses speak of “the dead.” These are the souls of those who were not found written in the Lambs book of life. The death spoken of here is not the termination of existence. This is eternal separation from God forever. Salvation then is deliverance from this judgment.
Let us now consider the next point in this question.
2. What MUST I do to be saved?
Surely something must be done for men to be saved, because we know that some end up eternally saved while others end up eternally lost.
Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Sadly, not everyone will be saved. But, God’s Word teaches us that God does not desire this end for man.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
To perish is to die. To die is to be separated. God does not desire any person to die and be separated from Him forever. Since we know that some people are saved while others are not saved, what MUST someone do to be saved?
Speaking purely from a logical perspective, if all are sinners, and sinners die, and death is separation from God forever, it makes sense to ask what the disciples asked Jesus.
Matthew 19:24-26 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
If God left it to man to save himself, who could perform that feat?
John 3:3-7 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
There has only ever been one man that did that. His name is Jesus Christ.
Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
What is impossible with man?
From Job chapter 38 through chapter 41, God asked Job if he could do any of the things that God could do and had done.
Job 40:7 Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
God sated that if Job could do all that God can do, then He would confess that his own right hand can save him.
Job 40:14 Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.
This caused Job to humble himself and repent of his pride. He acknowledged that he was nothing before God.
Job 40:4-5 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
Salvation from the penalty of sin, which is death, which is separation from God forever, is not a mystery if we simply read and believe what God has said in His Word. What is needed is for our sin debt to be paid to God, the One whose laws we have broken – to the One we have sinned against.
Acts 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
What could the law NOT do? The law could not save someone from the penalty for sin. It could not give eternal life. Why?
Galatians 3:21-22 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
The law is not against the promises of God. But there is one thing the law cannot do. It cannot give life. The law can be followed to give us peace, and righteousness, and joy, and a daily fellowship with God (if we are saved), but it cannot save. The law does not grant life, it demands death. These verses in Galatians plainly state that if keeping the law of God could give life, then that life SHOULD HAVE been possible by the law. We know this is referring to eternal life, for all who are physically alive have physical life already. This is spiritual life being spoken of. Let us carefully consider these next few verses.
Galatians 3:24-26 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
The law was given to teach man-kind that he cannot save himself. The law is a shoolmaster, which is a teacher, and the law teaches us that we are not capable of keeping God’s law. Notice what Paul the apostle said about the law and the sinful nature of man.
Romans 7:7-14 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Volumes could be and have been written about these 8 verses in Romans. It is one of the plainest passages in the Bible that explains the sinful nature of man and the holiness of God’s law and why the law was given in the first place.
Colossians 2:13-14 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Some may teach that once a person is saved, they do not need to take heed to the law of God. But this is not true. What Jesus did for us is to take our punishment upon himself and He paid the debt for sin on our behalf. In other words, we do not have to keep the law to be righteous in the eyes of God who demands punishment for our sins, because Jesus Christ already paid the wages of sin for us.
Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Again, we read:
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
John 3:16-17 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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 5:39-40 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
Romans 10:1-4 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
In the purist sense, there has only ever been two paths to salvation ever contemplated by man. The one is the broad way of trying to work our way to heaven and somehow be good enough that when we stand before God, our good works will outweigh our sins. Then, there is the other way.
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
There have been many billions of people born in human history. Yet, there has only ever been ONE person who has met the qualifications for eternal life, Jesus Christ. I would say that is a very NARROW way.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
1 John 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Matthew 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
God the Father desires that every person hear and understand that His Son was given to take away sin.
1 John 5:1-13 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that 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 grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
What MUST be done has been done. Yes, the penalty for sin is death. But we do not have to pay that penalty, because God’s gift to man, His Son Jesus Christ, is the narrow path to salvation, forgiveness of sin, and reconciliation with God and His law.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
3. What must I DO to be saved?
It is human nature to think that we are responsible for our own destiny. This is where many get hung up. Surely, I have to do something to be reconciled to God for breaking His law and sinning against Him? And so they try and try and try. Sadly, every single one of us have tried and failed. That is that old schoolmaster, the Law, trying to teach us that we can try all we want, but we will never attain perfection.
John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
What we must do to be saved is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, what He did for us when He died to pay our sin debt to God.
Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is absolutely essential to salvation.
Romans 10:14 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?
Belief comes first before someone can call on God to save them. A person is first presented with the truth of salvation. Maybe they hear from a sermon or someone telling them about their salvation experience, or maybe reading the Word of God. When presented with the truth, one will draw a conclusion to either believe or reject.
Acts 26:27-28 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
Belief is step one. Someone can believe, but belief alone is not sufficient to save.
James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Belief is called faith. But faith alone is not sufficient to get saved.
James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Genuine faith will always manifest itself outwardly in works. Now, I am not talking about working for salvation. I am talking about reacting to faith in a way that brings someone to Christ.
Luke 13:1-5 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
What is repentance? It is a change of someone’s mind about something. It is beautifully illustrated in Psalm 119.
Psalm 119:59-61 I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law.
Someone said, repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change in actions. This is very true.
Some confuse repentance with working to get to heaven. Repentance is not a work. Repentance is an attitude of the heart. True repentance is when someone realizes they have sinned against God and God demands death as the penalty for sin. But faith shows us that Jesus paid that sin-debt to God.
Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
I want you to notice something very important in that verse. Repentance and faith are the FOUNDATION of Christianity. It is what you start with. Once a person is saved, there is a desire to be obedient to God. And that is where works comes to play – obedience is something we do because we love God and want to please Him.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
So, repentance toward God and faith towards Jesus Christ are necessary for salvation. But there is one more thing that must be done to be saved. Salvation is a gift. In order to obtain this gift a person must receive it.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Notice, those who receive Christ have the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. Works do not provide the power to become a child of God.
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Eternal life is a gift. It is something God gives to us, not something we give to God.
Faith. Repentance. Receiving. Those are the three keys that unlock salvation. Nothing else can do this. Works do not save. Works cannot save. If doing good works could save someone, then Jesus Christ would not have had to come and die and pay for our sins.
Galatians 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
But there isn’t a law that can give life. But, since Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life, always and in every way being obedient to God’s law, He fulfilled the law.
Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
I have heard some say that what Jesus did on the cross did not do away with God’s law. That is right. But what does that mean? It does not mean Jesus died for our sins, but we still have to keep the law to be saved. We just read in Galatians 3:21 that if that were the case, salvation should have been by the law. But it is not. Jesus said He came to fulfil the Law. What does that man? It means simply that He fulfilled the requirements the Law demanded.
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
The Law demands perfection, and only one person has ever been perfect – Jesus Christ. He fulfilled the law.
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
The end speaks of the finish line.
John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Jesus fulfilled the Law and those who put their trust in Him for righteousness are those who are truly saved.
Some have a hard time with this. Some say we preach an easy-believism for salvation and we take away the goodness of God’s Law. Nothing could be further from the truth. We simply recognize that man at his best state is altogether vanity. Man cannot keep God’s law 100% of the time, and that is the only way anyone could ever stand before God and claim to be fit for heaven. But those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ have that confidence.
2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Paul was talking about his salvation. Jesus Christ kept him saved. His faith was not in works, but in the Saviour. Notice these verses:
Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Romans 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
The answer is no! After we get saved, we have the rest of our life to show God how much we appreciate what Jesus Christ did for us by living for Him.
John 10:27-28 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Notice the distinction in those two verses. “They follow me” (that is works). “I give unto them eternal life” (that is salvation).
God’s Law is good. We should obey God. We should do what God says, not to be saved; not to buy heaven, but because we are saved.
4. What must I do TO BE SAVED?
In this last part of the question, I want to touch on the subject of losing salvation, because many misunderstand it. Back at the beginning of this study, we talked about what being saved really means. It means salvation from the penalty of sin, which is death, which is separation from God forever. Now, notice that Jesus said:
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Now, let us pay attention to what Jesus Christ said.
Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
He did not say, “I do not know you.” He said, “I NEVER knew you.” Yet, Jesus said He knows His sheep. For Him to say He NEVER knew them is to admit they NEVER were saved, because if a person can get saved and then lose salvation, Jesus KNEW them at least once. This clearly shows that once someone is saved, they are saved forever. And that is exactly what Jesus said:
John 10:28-29 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
If God gives someone eternal life, that life is forever. And since the gift is free, there is no working for it, no working off the payment. Once a person is saved, the are SAVED from the penalty of sin which is death, which is separation from God.
I have often thought that if a person can lose their salvation, they were never truly saved in the first place.
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
There are so many verses that teach eternal security.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Saved from what? Saved from the penalty of sin, which is death, which is separation from God.
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Jesus does not give eternal life and then take it back when someone sins against God. What are Christians to do when we sin after we get saved?
1 John 1:9-10 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
As children of God, when we sin, we ask for forgiveness. This is the difference between salvation and sanctification. Salvation deals with our eternal deliverance from the penalty of Sin. Once we are saved, following God’s Word and living as He wants us to live is sanctification.
Genesis 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
To sanctify is to set apart. Living right sets us apart from the world and allows us to fellowship with God day by day.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
Works for salvation? Absolutely not! Works for sanctification? Absolutely!
Romans 8:12-13 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Living after the flesh can result in an early grave. But living for God can prolong our life.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
There is where the Law comes in – living for God so that He blesses us and prolongs our days.
Proverbs 3:1-2 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
The Law (God’s commandments – His Word) is very much important. Jesus fulfilled it for our SALVATION. We should desire to fulfill it in our daily walk with God for our SANCTIFICATION. That is the distinction and difference.
Salvation is a free gift. You cannot earn it. You cannot work for it. Once you have it, you cannot lose it. But if you choose not to live for God after you get saved, He will chasten you.
Proverbs 3:12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
Hebrews 12:6-8 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Repent. Believe. Receive. That is what must be done to be saved.