Salvation: The Qualifications

A long time ago a man asked the question, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). First of all, God saves the following kind of people: “sinners” (Rom. 3:23), “ungodly” (Rom. 4:5), those “without strength” (Rom. 5:6), His “enemies” (Rom. 5:10).

If you do not think that you are any of the above, you cannot be saved. If you still think you’re good enough, you cannot be saved. God does not save good people, or people trying to earn their way to heaven. You must come to God God’s way.

Salvation: The Basis

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:23-24). God saves sinners on this basis:

1). Freely. It does not cost the sinner anything. It is free. You can’t earn salvation by being good, and you cannot lose salvation by being bad. God does not require any works from a sinner. Good works do not make it easier, and bad works do not make it harder to get saved. It is FREE, FREE, FREE! God justifies the sinner freely. Justification is the act whereby God declares a person righteous, even though that person in himself is not righteous.

2). By His Grace. That means that it comes from the heart of God without finding anything in the recipient that would draw out His grace. Grace is all that God is free to do for the undeserving sinner because Christ paid for our sins on the Cross. If we have to work for our salvation, then salvation is not “by His grace.” If we can earn it, why did He die?

3). Through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Salvation is free to the sinner, but it cost God everything! Free is not cheap. As a matter of fact, salvation is the most expensive thing that has ever been paid. The cost of salvation was that Almighty God had to become a man and die in the sinner’s place. The cost was infinite! Webster defines “redemption” as follows: “The act of procuring the deliverance of persons or things from the possession and power of captors by the payment of an equivalent.” Sin against an infinite God requires an infinite payment. No man or church or works of any kind can pay this debt. The debt has been fully paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ. It would be the highest insult to offer to God your good works or religion in view of the fact that His Own Son suffered on the Cross to pay for your sins.

So to answer the question, “What must I do to be saved?” Stop making excuses, and place yourself in the “Qualifications” category, and receive the gift of salvation God has provided.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

“I declare unto you the gospel…by which also ye are saved…Christ died for our sins…was buried, and…rose again the third day” (I Cor. 15:1-4).