TCH MINI-STUDY 57
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
After being jailed for preaching the gospel (Acts 16:17-21), at midnight
Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that
the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 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? And they [Paul and Silas] said, Believe [Greek, pisteuo, be assured of, to give credit to, to entrust one's spiritual
well being, to commit to trust, or put your trust in] on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (Acts 16:25-31).In verse 30 above, the word saved is translated from the Greek word sozo, which means to be made safe, deliver, protect, heal, preserve,
do well, or make whole.
If when we are saved, meaning we are made safe, delivered, protected, preserved, or made whole, we can
then ask, what are we saved, protected, or delivered from? Scriptures, again, give us the answer. Paul wrote the church in Rome, Therefore
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh
patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength [to be godly, sinless], in due time Christ
died for the ungodly [sinners]. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare
to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified
by his blood, we shall be saved from [God the Father's] wrath [Greek, orgee, violent passion, abhorrence, anger, and indignation resulting
in vengeance and punishment for sin] through him [Christ and His justifying, atoning, and reconciling ministry of death and resurrection](Romans 5:1-9). According to Paul, the sinner is justified by faith in Christ, has peace with God though the Lord Jesus Christ, has
access by faith unto the grace of God, and can therefore rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
John Mark also refers to the faith
necessary for salvation: Afterward he [Jesus] appeared unto the eleven [of His disciples] as they sat at meat, and [Jesus] upbraided
them [the 11 disciples] with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him [Jesus] after
he was risen. And he [the Lord] said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth [trusts
in the Lord Jesus Christ] and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (Mark 16:14-16).
Also, in
His own words, Jesus told a woman in the city, who was a sinner, ...Thy faith [trusting in Jesus Christ for deliverance and salvation] hath
saved [delivered] thee; go in peace (Luke 7:50). Jesus also intructed Nicodemus, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 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
3:14-16).
After giving a parable to the Jewish Pharisees, Christ teaches us that He alone is the door to the sheepfold, and salvation:This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them
again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep
did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in [to the sheepfold through faith in Jesus Christ], he shall be saved [from
God the Father's wrath], and shall go in and out, and find pasture (John 10:6-9).
Referencing the prophesy of Joel, the apostle
Peter tells us what is necessary for salvation: But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye
men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as
ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to
pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and
your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in
those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood,
and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of
the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on [Greek, epikaleomai, to appeal unto, to invoke for aid, call
unto for deliverance, help, or salvation] the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:14-21).
In the book of Acts of the apostles,
we read, certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses,
ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul
and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. And being brought
on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great
joy unto all the brethren. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders,
and they declared all things that God had done with them. But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying,
That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together for
to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how
that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And
God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between
us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which
neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even
as they (Acts 15:1-11). According to Paul in these verses, salvation if the result of hearing the gospel, and believing that through
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved.
Paul wrote the church in Rome, God commendeth [Greek, sunistao, to set
together, to introduce, to exhibit, to stand near, to constitute, or stand with] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified [Greek, dikaioo, show or regard as just or innocent, to be made innocent and
righteous] by [the shedding of] his blood [and life], we shall be saved from [God the Father's anger for our sin] wrath through him.
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 [shedding of His blood and the freely giving of His] life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom we have now received the atonement (Romans 5:8-11).
Again, in his letter to the church in Rome, the apostle Paul wrote,But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt
be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture
saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord
over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:8-13).
Paul
also wrote these words to the church in Corinth: Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which
also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye
have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according
to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Paul teaches here that we are saved by accepting, believing in, and embracing the gospel message. If hearing and believing the gospel
results in salvation, what is this gospel message that Paul speaks of that brings our salvation? Immediately, Paul answered this question
for us. The gospel is that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, He was buried, and He rose again on the third day.
As Paul explained, receiving this gospel message is the power by which we are saved.
Paul wrote the saints in Ephesus: God, who
is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,
(by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the
ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace [Greek,charis, graciousness as gratifying, the divine influence upon the heart, to be beneficial, or to show favor or liberality] are ye
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works [efforts of man], lest any man should boast (Ephesians
2:4-9). In these verses, Paul not only explains that we are saved through faith in Christ and the gospel message, but that this faith
and salvation is not available through our own efforts, but only through God's favor and liberality. As Paul exclaims, it is the gift
of God.
A multitude of people seeking Jesus and His teaching, asked the Lord, What shall we do, that we might work the works
of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent (John 6:28-29).
In
his second letter to the church in Thessalonica, Paul teaches, For the mystery of iniquity [probably a reference to the antichrist]doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he [probably a reference to the operation of the Holy Spirit] be taken
out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy
with the brightness of his coming: Even him [the antichrist], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs
and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth,
that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might
be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of
the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand
fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle (2 Thessalonians 2:7-15).
If salvation
requires a love of the truth, just what is this truth that Paul is referring to here? Paul referred to this truth in his letter to
the Ephesian belivers: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that
ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were [saved and] sealed with that
holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:12-13). Paul also wrote the Colossian church, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven,
whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel (Colossians 1:5). Christ, Himself, referred to the gospel of the kingdom [that]shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come (Matthew 24:14), and the kingdom of
God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel [the good news of the Kingdom] (Mark 1:15). The gospel is the good news about the
availability, through faith in Christ, of salvation and the Kingdom of God, and that when we believe in and love the truth of that
gospel message, we can receive salvation. Paul specifically referred to those who received not the love of the truth [of the gospel,
or good news of salvation and the Kingdom of God], that they might be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:10).
BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS
CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED
When the keeper of the prison 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,” holy scriptures amply answer this question
for us. Paul answered, Believe [Greek, pisteuo, be assured of, to give credit to, to entrust one's spiritual well being, to commit
to trust, or put your trust in] on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (Acts 16:25-31). Paul wrote the church
in Rome that we are saved from God's wrath through Christ and His justifying, atoning, and reconciling ministry of death and resurrection.
John Mark taught that he that believeth [trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ] and is baptized shall be saved.
Jesus, Himself, saidI am the door: by me if any man enter in [to the sheepfold through faith in Jesus Christ], he shall be saved. Peter taught that whosoever
shall call on [Greek, epikaleomai, to appeal unto, to invoke for aid, call unto for deliverance, help, or salvation] the name of the
Lord shall be saved.
In the book of Acts, Peter taught men are to understand that we are saved only through [and because of]
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul wrote the church in Rome we shall be saved by his [shedding of His blood and His freely giving
of His own] life. Paul taught those in Rome if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Some people asked the Lord what works they should do to be saved. The
Lord responded that to be saved the work they must do was to believe on Him whom God the Father had sent.
Paul also wrote the
church in Corinth that men are saved through acceptance of the gospel. Again, Paul wrote the church in Ephesus that they [and we]
are saved through faith [in Christ]. Paul also explained to the saints in Thesalonica that to be saved, one must have a love of the
truth of the gospel of Christ, but those who believed not the truth are damned to eternal punishment.
In our subject verses,
Paul and Silas summarized and simplified the way of salvation with these words, Believe [Greek, pisteuo, be assured of, to give credit
to, to entrust one's spiritual well being, to commit to trust, or put your trust in] on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,
and thy house. AMEN!