"WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?"
Acts 16:30-31

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The anxious inquirer who asked the present question was the Philippian jailer. He had been introduced to the gospel of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through the public ministry and consequent civil trial of Paul and Silas in his city (vv.16-24). He heard it more fully through these gospel preachers praying and singing the praises of God while in his jail (v.25). He was awakened from both his physical and spiritual sleep through an earthquake, truly an "act of God", and realized the dire plight before him, both physically and spiritually (vv.26-29). Under deep conviction of his sin, he asked Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (v.30).

The religionist might have advised him to be saved through baptism, good works, law observance, sabbath-keeping, coming to an altar or mourner's bench, joining their church, or some other unavailing "work of righteousness" (Titus 3:5). Some religionists have devised a five-step self-recovery program for seekers of salvation: "hear, believe, repent, confess, be baptized" (or some slightly altered form of this formula).

The gospel preacher answers the anxious inquirer, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved" (v.31).

I. The duty required: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" – that is, exercise saving faith in Him.

1. Saving faith is "whole-hearted reliance and trust on the promises of God in Jesus Christ". It involves all three elements of man's consciousness.

i. In the intellect there is the acknowledgment that everything God says is true, especially regarding the sinfulness of man (e.g., Romans 3:10-18, 23) and the sufficiency and efficacy of the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior (e.g., John 3:16f).

ii. In the emotion there is the feeling that none but Jesus Christ can meet the need of the sinful heart, and an absorbing interest in having Him do so (as in John 6:67-69).

iii. In the will there is the placing of personal trust in Jesus Christ as both Lord and Savior, thereby submitting to Him as Lord and depending in Him as Savior (as in Psalm 18:1f).

2. Saving faith is therefore distinguished from other kinds of faith.

i. Saving faith is distinguished from historical faith, the mere intellectual acknowledgment of the truth devoid of moral or spiritual purpose. Even the devil and his demons have this kind of faith (James 2:19).

ii. Saving faith is distinguished from miraculous faith, the belief one may have that he will perform a miracle or that one will be performed in his behalf, and which may or may not be accompanied by saving faith. Many who believe they have performed miracles in Jesus' name will be rejected by Him (Matthew 7:21-23).

iii. Saving faith is distinguished from temporal faith, that which is grounded in the emotion, not in the regenerate heart, and which seeks personal gain rather than God's glory, and which eventually dies. This is the vain faith of the so-called "stony-ground hearer" (Matthew 13:20f), or the one thought to be "saved today but lost tomorrow" (contrast 1 John 2:19).

II. The Savior identified: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ."

1. Believe on "Jesus". Trust in the Divine One who was born of the virgin Mary, and of whom it was said that "you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).

2. Believe on "Jesus Christ". Trust in Jesus the Messiah (John 4:25), Jehovah's Anointed (Psalm 2:2; Luke 4:18), the One appointed by the Father to be the only Mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5), and therefore the anointed Prophet, Priest, and King of His people.

3. Believe on the "Lord Jesus Christ". Believe that "God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name [i.e., Jehovah], that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord [or Jehovah], to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11; cp. Isaiah 45:23).

"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:10).

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