“What Must I Do To Be Saved?”

(Acts 16:31)

Of all the questions we might ask, this is the most important one. What could possibly be more important than the salvation of our soul? Jesus said, “What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26). A good job, a nice home, a nice car, a good education—these all have a place, but if you have all these and lose your soul, you’ve got nothing.

But to whom should this important question be directed? Should we look to God for an answer, or to men? Obviously, a question of this magnitude must be directed to God. We must let God answer this question, because we know He has the right answer. Here is God’s answer to the question, “What must I do to be saved?” Read it carefully.

Upon hearing the gospel, you must believe. You must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that because He died for your sins, He and He alone can save you from your sins. There is simply no way you can be saved without first believing in the Savior (Mark 16:16; John 8:24; Acts 8:12; Acts 8:36-37; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10).

You must repent of your sins, or turn away from them. If you truly believe that Jesus died for your sins, then you should not want to live in them any longer. Repentance is a decision, a decision to turn away from sin and live for the One who died for you (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 26:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

You must confess your faith in Jesus (Acts 8:36-37; Romans 10:9-10).

You must then be baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ. Sprinkling or pouring will not do. You must be buried or immersed in water. When you do this, your sins will be forgiven, washed away by the blood of Christ. You will now be “in Christ”—a Christian (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 8:12; 8:35-39; 16:30-34; 22:16; Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-27; 1 Peter 3:21).

Now that you’re a Christian, you must continue to live faithfully for Christ (Acts 2:38-42; 11:23; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Revelation 2:10).

That’s God’s answer to the question, “What must I do to be saved?” Is that what you’ve been told in the past? Some of our readers may have been given a different answer. You may have been told that all you had to do was believe. You may have been told to ask Jesus to come into your heart. You may have been told to pray the sinner’s prayer. Please understand, you cannot be saved by obeying man’s plan; you can only be saved by obeying God’s plan. If we can help you in any way to obey God’s plan, please let us know.