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No.3.
What Must I do to be Saved?
pp. 161, 162
To be saved! Saved from what? What does it mean, to be saved? When the
Scriptures use this expression it is referring to being saved from the consequences of sin,
that is separation from God through death.
What must I do to be saved, saved from sin and separation? That surely must be the
most important issue confronting every individual and yet so many refuse to face it.
Some think that a person's life should consist in an abundance of material possessions.
They are concerned about obtaining plenty of good things and saving money for the
future so that they can take life easy and eat, drink and be merry. But what if God says to
them at this very moment, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from
you" (Luke 12: 16-21). Their material possessions or their position in a secular society
will be of no value after death. They go no way towards gaining eternal life.
If possessions and position do not secure life after death, can a person obtain eternal
security through self-sacrifice and the good works performed in this life? Paul was a
Pharisee who had kept the law and from that point of view he was faultless. He had
suffered the loss of everything. Surely here was a man who had worked his way into
heaven--but no! He wanted to be found in Christ, not having a righteousness of his own,
one that comes from obeying the law, but wanting that righteousness which comes from
God (Phil. 3: 5-9).
Every human being has a righteousness of his own, for he does show some good
works and tries to keep most of the law most of the time. If we compare ourselves with
others we may assess ourselves better than our neighbours, better than our workmates,
better than our brothers and sisters. But when we compare ourselves with God, His
eternal existence and His righteousness, then man's life is but a breadth and man's glory
is as insignificant as the flower of grass. If we are to be saved then we need to be linked
with God's immortality and His righteousness, but how can man achieve this? How can
he get immortality and righteousness? He gets them by accepting them from God.
"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord"
(Rom. 6: 23).
All a person needs to receive this gift is faith; faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He needs
to believe that:
"Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was
raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (I Cor. 15: 3, 4).
Do you believe that Christ died for your sins? Do you believe that He received the
punishment for your sins? If you do, you are saved. You have the gift of eternal life--
and more. All believers can say, with Paul, that we do not have a righteousness of our
own,