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What Must You Do to Be Saved?

What Must You Do to Be Saved?

This is the most important question a person can ever ask. Eternity depends on the answer. But before we answer the question, “What must you do in order to be saved?”, we must consider the reason you and I need to be saved in the first place.

God created mankind to be in relationship with Him, but we sinned against Him, and we are separated from Him.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)

Sin means “to miss the mark.” The mark is God’s perfect standard. We sin in our thoughts, words, attitudes, and actions. Scripture is clear: no one is righteous on their own (Romans 3:10–18). Because God is holy and just, sin must be punished. Eternal separation from God, what the Bible calls hell, is the just consequence of sin (Matthew 25:46; 2 Thessalonians 1:9). Someone must pay the penalty for sin. Either we pay it ourselves, or we trust Jesus to pay it for us.

So what Must You Do to be saved, then?

#1 Hear the Gospel

Faith comes by hearing the message of Christ (Romans 10:13–14). The Gospel must be proclaimed and understood. The Gospel is the solution for our separation from God. Below is a summary of the Gospel.

  • Everyone is separated from God because everyone has sinned. (Romans 3:23)

  • Sin deserves to be punished. (Romans 6:23)

  • Someone must pay the price for your sin. (Matthew 25:46)

  • Jesus is God. He lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15).

  • He died on the cross to pay for our sins (Romans 5:8).

  • He was buried and rose again on the third day (Matthew 16:21; Revelation 1:18).

  • He now reigns as Lord and will judge the world (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Jesus came “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Through His death and resurrection, He offers forgiveness and eternal life as a free gift (Romans 6:23).

#2 Believe the Gospel

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Biblical belief is not mere mental agreement. The word “believe” (pisteuō) is a verb, and it means to trust, rely upon, and place confidence in. True faith confesses Jesus as Lord, trusts fully in His death and resurrection, and submits to His authority. Real faith produces change. James 2:17 says, “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Works do not save us, but they prove that our faith is real. A changed heart leads to a changed life (Matthew 7:17–20).

#3 Repent of Your Sins

Jesus preached, “Repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) Repentance means a change of mind that leads to a change of direction. It is turning from sin and turning to God (Acts 3:19). Repentance does not mean Christians never sin. It means they no longer live comfortably in sin. When they fall, they rise again and fight against it (Proverbs 24:16). A true believer does not practice ongoing, unrepentant sin (1 John 3:6–10).

The Promise

When a person hears and understands the Gospel, believes in and trusts Jesus as Lord, repents and turns from sin, God forgives their sins and grants them eternal life. Salvation is not earned by being “good enough.” It is received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

This is too important to misunderstand. Eternity is at stake. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of your sins, and you will be saved.

I CHOSE TO FOLLOW JESUS!