Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
Select a thought to read by choosing a collection, the month, and then the day:
The issue of salvation is simple. Anywhere we look in the Bible, we find the truth about it. We should just ask ourselves, "What does the Bible say a person must do to be saved?" Not just one verse here or there, but the whole thing. If we do that, and if we use a concordance, such as Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, we find in there many, many things that a person must do in order to be saved.
Below is a paper I prepared for my Old Testament class many years ago, showing how many different things the Bible says a person must do/have in order to be saved.
|
# |
What I Must Do |
References |
|
1 |
Repent |
Acts 17:30; Lk.13:1-5 |
|
2 |
...and believe |
Mk. 1:14-15; Acts 16:29-31 |
|
3 |
...and be baptized |
Mk. 16:15-16; 1Pet. 3:20-21 |
|
4 |
..and be sanctified |
2Thess. 2:13; Rom. 15:16 |
|
5 |
Obey Christ |
Heb. 5:8-9 |
|
6 |
Work |
Jas. 2:14, 19-26; Rom. 2:5-11 |
|
7 |
Have faith |
1Pet. 1:7-9 |
|
8 |
Walk in the Spirit |
Rom. 8:13; Gal. 5:16-21 |
|
9 |
Call upon the name of the Lord |
Acts 2:21 (Zeph. 3:9; Rom. 10:12-14a!) |
|
10 |
Confess Christ |
Mt.10:32-33;Rom.10:9-10 |
|
11 |
Have power from God |
1Pet.1:3-5; Mk.10:25-27 |
|
12 |
Overcome the world |
Rev. 2:7;2Pet. 2:20-21 |
|
13 |
Have the hope |
Col. 1:27; Eph. 2:11-13; Rom. 8:24-25 |
|
14 |
Have an appointment |
1Thess. 5:8-9 |
|
15 |
Endure to the end |
Mt. 24:9-13; 1Tim. 4:16; 2:14-15; Heb. 3:5-6,14; 10:38-39 |
|
16 |
Remember all the above (and below) |
1Cor. 15:1-2 |
Other things that the Bible also says must be a part of a life that will be saved:
Meekness (Ps. 76:9; 149:4)
Righteousness (1Pet. 4:18)
Get lost (Lk. 9:24)
Hear preaching (1Cor. 1:21)
Be in Christ (Jn. 10:9; Rom. 8:9b)
Contrition (Ps. 34:18)
Uprightness (Ps. 7:10; Pro. 28:18)
Patience (Lk. 21:19; Heb. 6:11-12; 10:36)
God's mercy (Tit. 3:5)
God's Grace (Eph. 2:8; Acts 15:11; Tit. 2:11-12)
Jesus' patience with us (2Pet. 3:15)
Jesus himself (Rom. 5:9-10)
And there are many, many more!
Salvation is the reward for a holy life. It is silly to think that one can repeat a few Scriptures and "get saved", or that eternal salvation is obtained in a moment of time. The Scriptures above describe a kind of life, not a ceremony.
Read carefully and thoughtfully the Scriptures listed above. If you find one thing that I have listed above that is not ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for salvation, please tell me so that I can remove it from the list. I want the list to be accurate.