What Must I do to be Saved?

By Joe Keim

December 30, 2015

Does it scare you when someone says to you: I got saved? 

The answer oftentimes is yes, and there are various reasons why.  Here are some of them:

1. Those who get saved leave the Amish. For that reason, many Amish people have associated those getting saved with excommunication and leaving the Amish church.
2. To say I got saved, means that I can live any way I want to and still go to heaven.
3. Getting saved and having assurance of my salvation means that I am filled with pride.

I understand why these reasons might cause you to put up a wall and draw back from the truth as presented in God’s word.  However, I’d like to help you understand a few things that might benefit you, not only today, but for all eternity.

First of all, the word SAVED is used 57 times in the New Testament. 

Secondly, the word SAVED means the same as BORN AGAIN. 

Here are some examples:

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. (V-7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Acts 2:21: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Acts 4:12: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Acts 16:30-31: And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…

Romans 10:13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

1 Corinthians 1:18:  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

2 Timothy 1:9: Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

Titus 3:5: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy He saved us… 

You may be asking, what are we saved from?  The answer is found in Romans 5:9! The Apostle Paul wrote: Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

There’s something we must all understand, and that is this:  When you and I draw our last breath, all decision making is placed in God’s hands.  If you want to be saved from the wrath or eternal damnation to come, you must be saved before you die. And when you get saved, you will know it without a shadow of a doubt.

The Bible says to those who have been saved:

1 John 3:2: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  

No one gets out of this world alive.  No one!  Not one soul will ever slip past Almighty God. Not one!  All of us will come face to face with God. 

2 Corinthians 5:10 states: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…

John wrote: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God... Revelation 20:12

With those important facts in mind, let me remind you that the most important thing you can do (before you are thrust into eternity and stand before a perfect, holy, and righteous God) is to ask Jesus to save you.

The Bible was written, “so that ye may know that ye have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

Before you can get saved, you have to first realize that you are a sinner. If you do not realize you are a sinner, you will not recognize your need for a Savior. The Bible says we “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

 

 Secondly, you must repent of your sins. Repentance is an old English word that describes a willingness to:

• Turn from our sin
• To stop trusting in our own works to save us

It literally means a complete U-turn on the road of life—a change of heart and a change of mind. It means that you are willing to stop trying to become righteous (perfect) and fully trust that Jesus became your righteousness.

For He (God) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Cor 5:21

Jesus didn’t just take my sin away; He literally became my sin. Then He suffered the wrath of God for my sin. He became what I was so I could become what He was.

Finally, to believe that Jesus took your place—became your sin—means to be willing to receive.

But as many as received Him, to them gave He power (the right) to become the sons (family) of God... John 1:12

To truly receive Jesus Christ is to trust in and depend on Him alone to be the Lord of our lives here and now and our Savior for all eternity.

It takes more than knowledge (the devil knows about Jesus and trembles).

It takes more than agreement that the knowledge we have is accurate (the devil agrees that Jesus is Lord).

What it takes is to fully and only trust in Jesus Christ for eternal life. The requirements for eternal life are not based on what you can do, but on what Jesus Christ has already done. He stands ready to exchange his perfection for your imperfection.

According to Jesus Christ, those who realize they are sinners, repent of their sins and trusting in self to become perfect in God’s eyes, and receive Him as Savior and Lord are “born again” (John 3:3)—not physically, but spiritually.

The reality of our salvation is not dependent on our feelings, but rather on the promise of the Savior who says:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24).

Do you believe?

 

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