What Must I Do To Be Saved?

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The purpose of this lesson is to find out what made Christians in the first century. If we can discover what a person did to become a Christian in response to the teaching of the inspired apostles, then we will know what we must do today to become a Christian.

I. The Relationship Between the “Church” and Salvation

  1. Definition of the word “church”: Greek: EKKLESIA, “the called out.” Thus the word indicates those whom God has called out of sin and saved by the gospel. The word is never used of a physical building or of an institution. It always refers to an assembly or group of people.
  2. The New Testament uses the word “church” in two primary ways:
    1. The church in a universal sense, referring to all saved people both dead and alive (Mt. 16:18; Eph. 4:4). Since there is only one group of saved people, the New Testament speaks of only one church in the universal sense.
    2. The church in the local sense, referring to Christians meeting in a particular location (Rom. 16:16; Gal. 1:2). Though there can be only one universal church, the number of local churches (groups of Christians) following Christ can be unlimited.
  3. One more point: By its very nature, the universal church is perfect in its membership. God controls that membership and only saved people are part of that church. But the local church may be imperfect in its fellowship. For example, at one point the apostle Paul was mistakenly refused membership in the Jerusalem church (Acts 9:26). On the other hand, most people in the Sardis church were lost, though a few were still in a saved condition (Rev. 3:1-4). There were even some churches like Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-5), Thyatira (Rev. 2:18-25), and Laodicea (Rev. 3:15-18) who were in danger of no longer being considered a church in fellowship with the Lord. Therefore, we must be careful that we do not join a local church that is in such a condition (either teaching doctrinal error, tolerating immorality, or the Lord is not their first love).
  4. Now, what should be our first concern: to be a part of the universal church or to be a part of a local church? Obviously, since the universal church is the group of people God will save, our first priority should be to become a part of that group. What must we do to have God add us to His universal group of saved people (the church)? Read Acts 2:37-47 and 1 Cor. 12:13 to find the answer.
  5. Once we have been saved by having our sins forgiven and have been added to the universal church, our next concern should be to become a member of a local church. Paul gave us this example when he tried to join the Jerusalem church (Acts 9:26). Paul and other inspired writers commanded that Christians work together in a local church in a number of ways:
    1. In unity (1 Cor. 1:10).
    2. Partaking of the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:17-32).
    3. In giving for needy saints, edifying Christians, and saving souls (1 Cor. 16:1-2).
    4. In singing (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).
    5. In praying (Acts 12:5).
    6. In teaching and being equipped for every good work (Eph. 4:11-16).
    7. In saving lost souls (1 Tim. 3:14-15; 1 Thes. 1:6-8).
    8. In caring for one another (Rom. 12:3-16; 1 Cor.12:22-27).
    9. In encouraging one another to love and good works (Heb. 10:24-25; 3:12-13).

II. The Conversions in the book of Acts Confirm God’s Way of Saving Us

  1. Read Acts 2:21-47
    1. Notice that Peter begins his sermon by quoting Joel 2:28-32 in order to explain why the Holy Spirit had fallen on the apostles. Joel had spoken of the outpouring of the Spirit, the judgment on Jerusalem and the Jews, and an encouragement for all to “call on the name of the Lord” in order to be saved. It is the last point (Acts 2:21) that Peter uses as a springboard for the rest of his sermon.
    2. Since one must call on the name of the Lord in order to be saved, Peter first must establish that Jesus is the Lord. In verses 22-36, Peter offers a number of proofs to confirm this fact.
    3. Notice verse 37. Why would these people ask Peter what they must do? Has not Peter already told them to “call on the name of the Lord?” The problem is that the phrase, “call on the name of the Lord,” is not specific enough for a person to know how to go about calling on His name. In the Greek language this phrase would literally mean, “Invoke the power of the Lord and you will be saved.” Well, how does one go about doing that? This is the question being asked.
    4. Verse 38 is the answer to the question of what must be done in order to be saved. What does Peter say is necessary to do in order to have the “remission of sins?” How is this different from what religious leaders teach today?
    5. You will notice also that this verse has all the same thoughts as verse 21. The phrase, “everyone of you” corresponds to “whosoever.” The phrase, “in the name of Jesus Christ” corresponds to “in the name of the Lord.” The phrases, “for the remission of sins” and “gift of the Holy Spirit” corresponds to “shall be saved.” Finally, “call on” corresponds to “repent and be baptized.” Therefore, the way we call on the name of the Lord is by repenting and being baptized for the remission of sins.
    6. When you think of remission of sins, what do you think of? Remission is the same as forgiveness or salvation. Forgiveness is based on the blood of Christ, that is, the death of Christ on the cross for our sins. Receiving forgiveness of sins from the Lord is the same as receiving grace from the Lord. God’s grace is applied to us when we repent and are baptized for the purpose of our sins being forgiven. Matthew 26:28 uses the same phrase, “for remission of sins,” and tells us Jesus shed His blood for the remission of sins. Therefore, Peter is telling us how to receive the grace of God.
    7. Notice verse 41. How long did these people wait before they were baptized? Why was baptism so urgent? Compare this verse with verse 47. What did the Lord do when they were baptized?
  2. Read Acts 4:1-4
    1. Notice that Luke only counts male believers and that the number has now come to be about 5000. But why doesn’t Luke mention baptism in this verse? If many who heard the Word “believed,” do you think these people did anything different than the people did in Acts 2?
    2. Obviously, Luke uses the word “believe” to include all that the Lord required of a person to have his sins forgiven. This would include an acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God and a belief in His promises. It would include repenting, confessing Jesus (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized. In the New Testament, to be a believer means you have done, and are doing, all the things required by the Lord to be considered His disciple.
  3. Read Acts 8:5-13
    1. What did these people do in order to become Christians?
    2. Were any babies or children baptized? Why or why not?
  4. Read Acts 8:26-40
    1. Notice that Philip “preached Jesus” to the eunuch. Since after hearing Jesus preached, the eunuch asked to be baptized, what must be included in “preaching Jesus?”
    2. What did Philip say the eunuch had to do before he could be baptized? Based on this, who is not a candidate for baptism?
  5. Read Acts 9:1-19; 22:14-16.
    1. To see the full story of the conversion of Saul, it is necessary to also read Acts 22 where Saul (Paul) repeats his conversion story and adds a few details.
    2. Most religious teachers say that Saul was saved on the road to Damascus. By reading Acts 22:16, is this true? When was Saul’s sins washed away?
    3. Notice also that Saul had (1) seen the Lord, (2) heard the Lord’s voice, (3) been blinded by the Lord, (4) fasted three days and nights, (5) prayed for three days, and (6) was healed of the blindness by the Lord. And yet, after all of this, Saul did not yet have his sins forgiven. Most churches today accept people on the basis of simply saying they believe. If that is so, why does the Lord require Saul to “arise and be baptized and wash away his sins, calling on the name of the Lord?”
  6. Read Acts 10:44-48.
    1. Cornelius was the first Gentile convert. Since Jews did not have dealings with Gentiles, it was necessary for God to give Peter four miraculous events in Acts 10 in order to convince him to accept these Gentiles.
    2. Once Peter was convinced, what did he command Cornelius and his household to do?
  7. Read Acts 16:11-15. What did Lydia and her household do to be saved?
  8. Read Acts 16:25-34.
    1. What did Paul tell the jailor to do in verse 31?
    2. Unfortunately, many religious leaders will have you stop after this verse and not read the rest of the story. When you read verse 32, what also did Paul tell the jailor?
    3. How urgent was it for the jailor and his household to be baptized?
    4. When does Luke tell us that the jailor rejoiced, before or after baptism? When does Luke tell us that the jailor “had believed,” before or after baptism?
  9. Read Acts 18:8. What did the Corinthians do to become Christians? If you will read 1 Corinthians 2:2, you will notice that Paul said he had determined not to teach them anything other than “Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Since this was Paul’s determination, baptism must be a part of preaching Jesus and Him crucified.
  10. Read Acts 19:1-5.
    1. “John’s baptism” was exactly the same as Christ’s baptism as far as the action of immersion was concerned. But with John’s baptism there was a different belief since it was only valid prior to the death of Christ.
    2. Since both baptisms looked the same, why was it necessary for these men to be baptized a second time? What role would “faith” (that is, what they believed about baptism and its purpose) have in their baptism?

III. Read Colossians 2:11-12

  1. First look carefully at verse 11. Who is the “surgeon” in this verse? What is He cutting off? Would you say this was a salvation by grace since it is made “without hands?”
  2. According to verse 12, when does the Lord cut off our sins? In other words, what must we do to get on the “surgery table?”
  3. What part does faith have in this “surgery?”
  4. Based on this verse, would you say that baptism was man’s work or a work of God that we must submit to?

IV. How Do I Have My Sins Forgiven After Baptism? Read 1 John 1:5–2:5

  1. You will notice in this text that there is a number of contrasts. In 1:6, we cannot “walk in darkness” and still be in fellowship with God. But in verse 7, if we “walk in the light,” we will have fellowship with Him and the blood of Jesus will cleanse us of all sins. Remember, John is talking to Christians. Christians are not allowed to walk in darkness (live a sinful lifestyle), but instead must walk in the light (live a righteous lifestyle).
  2. But notice also that Christians do sin, even Christians who “walk in the light.” Walking in the light is not perfection, else the Lord would not need to “cleanse us of our sins.”
  3. Notice verses 8-10 present another contrast. This is a contrast between one who denies he sins (and therefore cannot be forgiven), and one who admits he sins and is forgiven. This Christian who walks in the light and admits he sins, will be forgiven.
  4. Finally, notice 2:1-5. Though we will not live perfectly, we must keep His commandments if we expect to have fellowship with Him.