WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?

TEXT: Romans chapter 10.

A very important Question.

A question we fail to appreciate becuase we do not realize we are lost.

Jesus came to be our Saviour:
(Luke 2:11)  "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

(Acts 5:30-31)  "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. {31} Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins."

Many do not appreciate it because they do not realize they are LOST!

(John 8:31-32)  "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; {32} And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

They did not appreciate it, and replied:
(John 8:33)  "...We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?"

Jesus replied:
(John 8:34-36)  "Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. {35} And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. {36} If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."

Only if we realize we are lost do we appreciate a rescurer (saviour).
     It is true in the physical as well as spiritual realm.

(John 8:21)  "Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come."   (Heaven).

(John 8:24)  "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins."

(Luke 13:28)  "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out."

There are at least four times in the Scriuptures where this all important question (W M I D T B S) is asked:

1. THE RICH, YOUNG RULER: as recorded in Matt. 19, Mark 10 and Luke 18.
(Mat 19:16)  "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"

(Luke 18:18)  "And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

2.  A CERTAIN LAWYER:
(Luke 10:25)  "And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

3. PETER'S AUDIENCE ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST:
(Acts 2:37-39)  "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? {38} Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. {39} For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."

4. THE PHILIPPIAN JAILOR:
(Acts 16:29-33)  "Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, {30} And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? {31} And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. {32} And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. {33} And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway."

Some would say the answer to the question (W M I D T B S?) is "Nothing!"  Jesus did it all. 

Some say Salvation is by Grace, all Grace, and nothing but Grace.

If by that, they mean there is nothing we can add to God's Grace to make it better or more effectual, then that is true.

But God's grace must be RECEIVED or ACCEPTED on man's part.  That is where "What we muct do to be saved" comes it.   (2 Cor 6:1)  "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain."    (Heb 12:15)  "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God..."

(Rom 5:2 says,)  "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."  

Some say salvation is by faith only.  If by this they mean faith is the only avenue through which this grace can be accessed, then it is true. 
(Eph 2:8)  "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Yet the Bible says, speaking of obedience: (James 2:24)  "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."

IN OUR TEXT: Romans chapter 10, our question (W M I D T B S?) is not directly asked, but it is answered in detail.

Rom. 10 begins with concern for people who are NOT saved (because they have not done what a person must do to be saved). 

(Rom 10:1)  "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved."

Why are they NOT saved?  --Because they have not met God's requirements for salvation.  And in the remainder of Romans 10, those requirements are clearly spelled out for us.  For the remainder of our lesson today, we will be looking at these requirements as the Apostlle Paul here innumerates them for us.

No. 1: THEY STUMBLED AT THE STUMBLINGSTONE.
(Rom 9:31-33)  "But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. {32} Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; {33} As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

What does this mean? --It means they were trying to save themselves by their own veracity,  instead of looking to Jesus to save them!  They were trying to be good enough--by keeping the law of moses--to make it to Heaven on their own righteousness without the grace of Christ.  And needless to day, this was a great example of an exercise in futility!

Jesus is the only way to Heaven, John 14:1--6.

He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God by Him, Heb. 7:25.

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."   (Acts 4:12)  

The Jews Paul spoke of were trusting in their own righteousness to get them to Heaven, rather than in Christ.  We must not do that. Salvation is "Not of works, lest any man should boast."  (Eph 2:9) 

(Isa 64:6)  "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

No. 2. They had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

(Rom 10:2-4)  "For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. {3} For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. {4} For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

They were ignorant of the righteousness of God that could be imputed to them through faith in Christ, and were going about to establish their own righteousness in keeping the law of Moses. Jesus said, (John 8:32)  "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, (Rom. 10:17). They needed to hear the gospel, and to heed it.  This is why Jesus gave the "Great Commission" and instructed that the gospel be preached to every creature under heaven.

But the problem with them was not that they had not heard, but that they had failed to HEED.  This is the same problem with many of us today!  (Rom 10:18)  "But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world."  (Rom 10:21)  "But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people."

No. 3. They needed to believe in Christ.

(Rom 10:8-11)  "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; {9} 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. {10} For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. {11} For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

This was the problem with many of the Jews--and many other people--they did not believe in Jesus, that He was the Messiah, the Son of God.

(John 8:24)  "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins."

Christians are accused of being narrow minded.  And maybe we are! Maybe we need to be. Christ is the Only Way!  If you do not believe in Him, there is no other way of going to Heaven.  (Mark 16:15-16)  "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. {16} He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

(Rom 10:14-15)  "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? {15} And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

No. 4. They needed to call on the name of the Lord for salvation.
(Rom 10:13-16)  "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. {14} How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? {15} And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! {16} But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?"

It was a prophecy from Joel 2:32 that the time would come when whosoever would call on the name of the Lord would be delivered (saved).

Many interpret this as "praying the sinner's prayer."  But it is more than this.  In fact, as the context bears out, it involved hearing and believing the Word, and obeying the gospel (V. 16).

As a matter of fact, you can search the New Testament through, and you will never find an alien sinner instructed to be saved by praying the sinner's prayer.  It's just not there.

Acts 22:16 sheds a little light on what is involved in "calling on the name of the Lord."  Here Ananias told Saul, who had been three days praying and fasting:  "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

5. They needed to believe and confess.
(Rom 10:6-10)  "But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) {7} Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) {8} 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; {9} 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. {10} For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

We must believe that Christ died in our place; that He paid our debt, that He bought our pardon, and then that after He died, He was raised from the dead the third day. If you don't believe this, you don't believe in Jesus.  Some clain to believe in Jesus.  They acknowledge that He was a historical character that walked the face of the earth.  But when you pin them down, they will admit to you that they do not believe that He was the Son of God, and they do not believe that He was crucified and resurrected.  But to believe in Jesus, you have to believe in the Jesus of the Bible!

Then there are those who try to make Romans 10:9,10 the entire plan of salvation.  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, they say.  But Paul said of some, (Titus 1:16)  "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."  John said, (1 John 2:3)  "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments."

You will notice that Paul said, (Rom 10:10)  "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." It is toward, in the direction of, unto. But of baptism, he said, (Gal 3:26-27)  "...ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. {27} For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."  Faith is "unto." Confession is "unto."  Baptism is "into."

THEN THERE ARE SOME TODAY IN THE CHURCH WHO ARE TRYING TO TAKE ORAL CONFESSION OUT OF THE PLAN OF SALVATION.

They acknowledge that Jesus required confession. (Mat 10:32-33)  "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. {33} But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."  But they say, it does not have to be a formal confession made with the mouth.  We confess Christ every day by the way we live.  

I agree that we need to confess Christ every day by the way we live, but I look at Romans 10:10 as a commentary on Matt. 10.  "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Paul said of Timothy: (1 Tim 6:12)  "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." Most other translation say, Confessed the good confession.

And in Acts 8, we see an example of this confession, as we are told concerning the Ethiopian eunuch, (Acts 8:36-37)  "And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? {37} And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. {38} And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him."

6. To be saved, they needed to "obey the gospel."
(Rom 10:14-17)  "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? {15} And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! {16} But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? {17} So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

This must sound like a strange statement to those who think the apostle Paul was teaching salvation by "faith only" in the book of Romans.  And many of our neighboring churches do believe that he was. 

But the truth of the matter is that the apostle Paul did NOT teach salvation by faith only in the book of Romans, or any place else. In the first chapter of the book: (Rom 1:5 speaking of Jesus)  "By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name."   In the LAST chapter of the book: (Rom 16:26)  "But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith."

So, Paul laments that these Jews are not saved, Rom. 10:1. And one reason WHY they were not saved is that THEY HAVE NOT OBEYED THE GOSPEL, Rom. 10:16. 

This is a term we seldom hear outside the church of Christ.  Others talk of people "getting saved" or "accepting Jesus," which. I guess, is all well and good.  But when we have a meeting, we talk about how many people were saved, or how many people "obeyed the gospel."

And indeed obeying the gospel is something a person must do to be saved.  (1 Pet 4:17)  "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?"

(2 Th 1:7-9)  "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, {8} In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: {9} Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power."

(Heb 5:8-9, of Jesus)  "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; {9} And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him."

(Acts 6:7)  "And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith."

(Mat 7:21 Jesus speaking)  "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."

The fact that we are called upon to obey the gospel does not take away from the fact that we are saved by GRACE through FAITH.  Jesus paid, not 90%, not 95%, not even 99.44% but 100% of  the price of our salvation!  There is nothing we can, or need to, add to it. Yet, we demonstrate oour faith in OBEYING THE GOSPEL.  (Gal 5:6)  "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."

(James 2:18)  "...show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works."

If we should start out trying to merit our salvation, then we would be no different from the Jews of Paul's day who stumbled at the stumblingstone!

BUT THEN SOMEONE MIGHT ASK: WHAT IS INVOLVED IN OBEYING THE GOSPEL?

Good question.  One thing that is involved is repenting, changing the way you are living, starting marching to the beat of a different drummer!

(Rom 6:17-18)  "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. {18} Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."

Yes, and it also involves submitting to Christian baptism.  About a dozen verses earlier: (Rom 6:3-4)  "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? {4} Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

(Acts 18:8)  "... many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized."

(Acts 10:48)  "And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord...."

(Acts 8:12)  "But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women."

(Acts 2:41)  "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls."

FRIEND, ARE YOU SAVED TODAY?  If not, then our heart's desire and prayer to God for you is, that you might be saved.

And you can be saved in just the same way these people could.

(Acts 2:38-39)  "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. {39} For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."