What Must I Do To Be Saved?

SERMON OUTLINE

• 💭 Consider this: Which areas of discipleship still feel like “off-limits” territory for Christ’s lordship in your life?
• I. To Believe In Who He Really Is And What He Has Done For Us
• II. To Come To Him With Nothing Of Our Own
• III. To Embrace Him Without Withholding Anything From Him

TRANSCRIPT

As we are preaching a series of messages pertaining to the 16th century Reformation, today we will be focusing on the title, ‘What must I do to be saved?’ Our text is taken from a very familiar passage in Acts 16:30-31, “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

There were many key figures in the Reformation: people like Martin Luther, John Calvin, William Tyndale, John Wycliffe, and so forth. The question that had always been on the minds of the reformers was, ‘How can a person be saved?’ The Roman church said, ‘Believe in Christ. Believe also in the church. Believe also in the sacraments. Believe also in the traditions and all the necessary good works prescribed by the church in order to earn your salvation.’ This was the same question that the Philippian jailer asked: ‘What must I do to be saved?’

Let me give you a brief background of this verse. This was during the second missionary journey of Paul, and he received the Macedonian call. And for the first time, the gospel entered into the continent of Europe. As Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke preached from place to place, they arrived at Philippi and they encountered a demon-possessed slave girl who was used by her masters. She was used by them to make money by fortune-telling. (Acts 28:16) In our modern times, she will be known as a medium, someone who is able to make contact with the demons.

Do demons have the power to tell the future? Demons do have powers, but their powers are limited. And they are able to exercise their powers only when God permits, according to His sovereign will, that you and I may not be able to understand.

Paul cast out the demon from the girl in the name of Jesus Christ. And when her masters heard about it, they were infuriated because they saw their hope of making money was lost. They thought Paul and his team were Jews, and so they falsely accused them of creating trouble in the Roman city. They turned the whole situation into a Jewish situation. And Philippi was a Gentile city under the jurisdiction of Rome. (Acts 16:18-21) Luke was a Gentile. Timothy was half Gentile, so they were not arrested. Only Paul and Silas were arrested.

While they were imprisoned, after being severely beaten, they were rejoicing, praying, and singing praises to God. Their joyful attitude was so obvious and contagious that the other prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:22-25) What a powerful testimony of God's transforming power and grace. Then all of a sudden, their praises of hymns were interrupted by a great earthquake, and all the prison doors were opened. The Philippian jailer, or the keeper of the prison, thought all the prisoners had escaped. If any prisoner had escaped, it didn't matter whatever be the reason, he would have to pay with his own life. Rather than facing the humiliation, he chose to kill himself instead. (Acts 16:26-27)

Sometimes people look at life like a little box. Whatever be the box, it could be their jobs, their families, their relationships, or even their wealth. And they invested everything into that little box. And when it is broken, that is the end of it. Just like the Philippian jailer, it was his job. When that little box was broken because he thought all the prisoners had escaped, there was nothing left for him to do but to kill himself.

We must never adopt that kind of mentality. Our lives belong to God, and whatever be the circumstances, whether we lose our jobs, our material things, our homes, or even our families, we must always remember nothing happens by chance or coincidence, and all things work together for good. God is in control, and He has His sovereign purpose for all of us.

The earthquake and the opening of the prison doors was not the only miracle, because all the prisoners had not escaped. So Paul said to him, ‘Do not harm yourself: for we are all here.’ That was when he fell before Paul and Silas and cried out, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ The answer given to him was, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.’ (Acts 16:28-31) This is the background of these two verses.

I. To Believe In Who He Really Is And What He Has Done For Us

The question is, what does it mean to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? To believe in Jesus is to believe in who He really is and what He has done for us. Notice the Philippian jailer said, ‘What must I do to be saved?’ which means he wanted to be saved. To be saved means to be rescued or delivered from danger.

People may have different views about life, but no matter how content they are, they may be very strong, successful, and healthy. Beneath the layers of life, they knew that something is wrong with their human condition. Something is wrong with their lives that they do not measure up to. The Bible calls it sin. Sin is a transgression of God's law. God sets the standards and boundaries in His law, and when we cross the line, that is sin.

We are born sinners, and as sinners, we break the law all the time. Because of our sins, we deserve nothing but condemnation from God. Perhaps there was a reason why, at the point of death, the Philippian jailer realised what a wretched sinner he was. And how could a righteous sinner like him be saved?

Some people would argue, ‘I did not do evil all the time. On many occasions, I have kept God's law. I have done many good deeds.’ If you are arrested for murder and they brought you to court and you stand before the judge, can you defend yourself by pointing to all the people in the world whom you have not murdered? No, you cannot. The question is not all the people in the world whom you have not murdered, but the very crime that you have committed. If you have, you are guilty. That's it.

When it comes to God's law, it is not a question whether there were occasions whereby you have kept them, but whether you have broken them. If you did, you are guilty. And the Bible says, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23)—not only the physical death, but to perish in eternal hell.

In Singapore, there was once when I received a speeding ticket by the traffic police for exceeding the speed limit. So I went to the authorities to appeal my case, and I said to the officer, ‘I've only exceeded a little bit.’ He said to me, ‘A little bit is also against the law.’ And I tried to defend myself again, ‘Well, you can look at my records. I have never exceeded the speed limit. I have always maintained a clean record all these years.’ The officer smiled and said to me, ‘You may think you have a clean record, but it is not because you have not exceeded the speed limit. It is just because you were not caught. As traffic officers, we know that people break the rules all the time.’ I could not say anything in defence because I knew he was right.

Do you think God does not know the number of times we have sinned against Him in our speech, in our thoughts, and in our actions? God is omniscient; He knoweth all things. God is perfectly holy, and He takes our sins seriously and will judge us with justice. As much as we like to look at God as loving, gracious, merciful, full of compassion and goodness—of which He is—but we must also remember that He is a God who is holy and just, and "will by no means clear the guilty" (Nahum 1:3). In other words, He will not compromise our sins.

Can you imagine a human judge who simply closes an eye to a crime committed and acquits the guilty? When someone breaks into your house, robs you, hurts your children, and he is caught, brought to court, convicted, and the judge says to him, ‘Well, if you promise never to do it again, I will let you go.’ Would you not scream and say that is unfair? Where is justice? A judge who clears the guilty becomes guilty of the judgment.

Our God is a righteous judge, and when He judges us, He will not compromise our sins. He will not compromise because of our good works. All those people who believe they can be saved by their good works, well, they can be sure that God will not compromise because of the things they have done or not done. Neither will He compromise because of our status in the world. You can be the king, yet you still have to be judged for your sins.

Hebrews 9:27 tells us that, "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." In life we can have many appointments. Some of the appointments we are able to attend, others we may not. But there's one appointment none of us can escape. None of us can postpone, and that is death. Death is an appointment all of us must keep. But death is not the end of everything, because after death there will be the judgment. When we are found guilty, we must face the punishment to be sent to eternal hell.

Man is under the power of sin. There's no way we can save ourselves. There's no way we can pay the penalty of our sins. God knows we cannot save ourselves. If we were to be judged according to our sins, we would be lost eternally. But He did not leave us without any hope. The same holy and just God who pronounced judgment on our sins had also provided a way of salvation because He loved us. God gave us a Saviour. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

For this reason our Lord Jesus Christ came into this world. Matthew 1:21 said, "thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." Jesus came into this world to save us. He lived a perfect life, fulfilling the righteousness of God which you and I cannot keep. He was crucified on the cross, shed His precious blood, and died for our sins, which you and I cannot pay. Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. (Hebrews 9:22)

Jesus had no sin of His own to suffer punishment. When He died on the cross, He took our punishment. He became the substitute for all who believed in Him, that they might have their sins and punishment cancelled forever. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 said, "For he [God] hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

So firstly, to believe in Jesus is to believe in who He really is and what He has done for us. Jesus, the Son of God, died for our sins and rose from the dead on the third day, for He is the resurrection and the life.

II. To Come To Him With Nothing Of Our Own

Secondly, to believe in Jesus is to come to Him with nothing of our own. If you notice, Paul and Silas did not say, ‘In order to be saved, you must do certain things. You must go to church, read the Bible, sing a hymn, do good works, and be baptised.’ While all those things are good spiritual activities, but they cannot save you. Paul and Silas simply directed the Philippian jailer to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it was only through the act of faith that he could be saved.

When the jailer trembled and stood with his conscience burning with this awareness of his guilt and depravity, he cried out, ‘What must I do to be saved? What must I do to have this mountain of guilt, this accumulation of years and years of sinning against God in my words, in my thoughts, in my actions, be removed from me, so that on the day of judgment there will not be any charge against my name? What must I do to be saved?’ The answer was given: ‘Believe on the Lord, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.’ (Acts 16:31) In other words, this same principle applies to your family too.

Whenever people hear, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved,’ almost immediately they are confronted with this stumbling block. You mean to tell me that by simply believing in Jesus and bringing nothing of my own, nothing of my performance, nothing of my character, looking away from myself and trusting only in Jesus alone, is able to have all my sins removed? Saving faith is purely the grace of God. And I believe that this is the biggest stumbling block for many people.

Why do I say that? Listen to the words of the jailer: ‘What must I do…?’ The human mind, due to the corruption of sin, is always inclined to think that we must do something in order to earn God's approval. We must do something in order to earn the right for our sins to be removed. But the reality is that:

• Faith in God is like the empty hand taking hold of the full salvation that is offered in Christ.
• Faith is like the thirsty soul drinking from the fountain of water.
• Faith is like the naked soul being clothed with the righteousness of Christ.

To believe in Jesus is to come to Him with nothing of our own.

Ephesians 2:8-9 said, "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." Even this faith to believe in God is a gift from Him. That is why Charles Spurgeon said (in his sermon ‘Salvation Finished!’), ‘on the cross Jesus said, "It is finished," which means the work of salvation is finished. If the garment of my salvation requires just one stitch from me, I would be totally and eternally lost.’ Dear friend, that is what we must do:

• Look away from ourselves.
• Look away from our good works.
• Look away from our performances and our characters.

Salvation is purely the grace of God.

If you have your Bibles, please turn with me to Romans 4:4-5. Let me read for you: "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." To explain these two verses, let me give you two illustrations.

In a particular company, on payday, the workers would line up outside the office to receive their wages for the week. A certain man came into the office, and there the records showed he worked for 40 hours that week, and he received a cheque of $400, which was in agreement between his employer and himself. Then all of a sudden he burst out shouting in great joy that he had received a cheque of $400. His friend asked him, ‘Haven't you worked for 40 hours this week?’ He answered, ‘Yes, I did.’ ‘Then what is all this rejoicing? There's nothing for you to be so happy about, because the company is in your debt until they pay you the cheque.’ That was what Paul was saying in Romans 4:4. For the man that worketh, the reward is not a matter of grace, but it is a matter of debt. And until the employer pays the cheque, he is in debt to the employee.

But in another scenario, a total stranger walked into the office looking for a job. He had been jobless for 10 months. And as he came into the office, he was handed an envelope. He opened the envelope, there was a cheque of $1,000. And he said, ‘What did I do to deserve this?’ The office clerk said, ‘You did nothing to deserve this. My boss said that the first person to come in here looking for a job, he will be given a cheque of $1,000.’ The man burst out shouting in great joy. And he said, ‘Look what I've got. I did not do anything and yet I got $1,000.’ What would you say about this man? Well, he is simply responding as anyone would have responded. He has received not what is owed to him, but what is purely of grace.

To him that works, it is not a matter of grace, but it is a matter of debt. But to him that does not work, but simply trust in the goodness of the one who gives, that is a matter of pure joy, pure grace.

Dear friend, I do not know how high your mountain of sins are, but this is what I know. In Jesus Christ, in His grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love, all you have to do is to look away from yourself and to look to Him. Believe in who He really is and what He has done for you, and you will be saved.

There is nothing you can bring of your own to Christ. As the hymn (’Rock of Ages’ by Augustus M. Toplady in 1776) says, ‘Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling.’ You can never come into the righteousness that God has provided, which is found only in Christ, until you believe.

But as long as you are working, as long as you are doing, as long as you are striving, thinking that there is something you can do to save yourself, in the perfecting of your character, in the performance of your religious rituals, you will keep doing and doing and doing until you drop dead. To believe in Jesus is to come to Him with nothing of our own.

Do not be like the Pharisee who praised himself in the presence of God for who he thought he was and what he had done. In the Gospel of Luke chapter 18, the Pharisee went into the temple and prayed, “God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” (Luke 18:11-12) He was actually promoting his own character and his performance to God. He never knew what it means to be saved.

But the publican, on the other hand, “standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” (Luke 18:13) In other words, ‘I have nothing in myself. I have nothing in my character. I have nothing in my performance. I can only plead that you be merciful to me on the basis of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and what He has done for me on the cross.’ The Bible tells us that Jesus said he “went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Luke 18:14).

To believe in Jesus is to believe in who He really is and what He has done for us. To believe in Jesus is to come to Him with nothing of our own.

III. To Embrace Him Without Withholding Anything From Him

And lastly, to believe in Jesus is to embrace Him without withholding anything from Him.

Romans 10:9-10 said, "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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Saving faith is an exercise of the heart.

When the gospel message is preached—that the Saviour has come, Jesus died and rose again from the dead—those truths are believed in the heart. It is the heart that reaches out to God. It is the heart with which man believeth unto righteousness.

Therefore, in saving faith, the sinner embraces Christ in his heart without withholding anything from Him. In his heart, he willingly and knowingly withholds nothing from Christ. He is prepared that Christ shall have the place that He demands. He is not just his Saviour, but He is also the Lord of his life.

The Lord and Saviour cannot be separated. Jesus said in Luke 14:26, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."

It does not mean that you must literally hate your loved ones. What it means is that, in comparison to the love for Christ, it is but like hate. If anything comes in between your love for Christ, then you ought to cast that out, because He is not only your Lord, He is your Saviour.

In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

The true believer will not withhold anything from Christ, whether it is reserved for friendship, relationship, money, material things, worldly pursuits—whatever. You just cannot simply profess with your mouth that you believe, and yet consciously withhold your heart from Christ. It is all or nothing.

Once D.L. Moody, the preacher, was standing with a friend at his garden gate one evening when two little children came by. As they approached, Moody said to his friend, ‘Watch the difference between these two boys.’ Taking one of them in his arms, he put him on the gate post and, stepping back a few feet, he folded his arms and called out to the little boy to jump. In an instant, the little boy jumped toward him, and Moody immediately caught him in his arms.

But in the second case, it was different. The child trembled and refused to move. Moody opened up his arms and even tried to induce the child to trust in him, but nothing could move him (the child). Finally, Moody had to lift him down from the gate post and let him go.

Then he said to his friend, ‘Do you know what is the difference between the two of them? The first is my son, and he knows me. But the second is a stranger's child whom I have never seen before.’ And that is all the difference.

Moody was equally able to prevent them from falling, but the difference was in the boys themselves. The first had full assurance and was able to embrace his father with all his heart, while the second boy, although he might have believed in his (Moody’s) ability to save him from harm, but he would not embrace him (Moody) fully. He could not bring himself to trust him (Moody) completely.

It is the same thing with millions who have heard the gospel message. They give credit to the gospel story. They will say things like, ‘It is a wonderful story. It is so amazing. It is so lovely.’ But that is not good enough. They are unwilling to cast themselves into the arms of the Saviour. It is all or nothing.

Dear friend,

• What must we do to be saved? "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."
• What does it mean to believe in Jesus? We believe in who He really is and what He has done for us. We come to Him with nothing of our own. It is purely by the grace of God; and
• We embrace Him without withholding anything from Him. He is not only our Saviour, our Lord, but the President of our lives. This is who Jesus is to us.

I pray that you have received Jesus as your only Saviour.

Whenever I conduct funeral services, I would see the many graves in the cemetery. When I walk past those graves, this thought would always come into my mind: that beneath the tombstones, there were actual people who had lived on this earth at some point.

Some of them were talented, others were intellectuals, yet others may be geniuses. But the vast majority might be just ordinary lay people. Nonetheless, they had lived on the face of this earth at one time. But the question is, where are their souls today? Once a person draws his last breath and swings into eternity, it is either heaven or hell.

One day we will also find our place in one of those graves. But if we are believers, praise be to God, our souls will be with Him. And the day will come when our bodies will be raised to be united with our souls in a glorified state, and we will live in the mansion that Jesus has gone to prepare for us forever and ever. But if we do not believe in Him, once death knocks, it will be too late. No matter how talented, gifted, educated you are, that would be a thing of the past.

Where would your soul be for all eternity?

Come and believe in Jesus today, because tomorrow may never come. Today may be the last day. Believe in Him. As the Bible says, "What must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord, and thou shalt be saved." Let us pray.

Our Father in heaven, we come before Thee, and we give Thee thanks for this opportunity for us to consider these two verses. Indeed, it is a good reminder to all of us: ‘What must we do to be saved?’

And Thou hast taught us that the answer given by the Apostle Paul and Silas to the Philippian jailer is to “believe on the Lord, and thou shalt be saved." And to believe in the Lord is to believe in who Jesus really is and what He has done for us. It is to come to Him with nothing of our own. Salvation is purely the grace of God. And it is to embrace Him without withholding anything from Him.

Oh Lord, may Thou speak to those hearts that are still lingering outside Thy kingdom. Be gracious to them, that the Spirit of God may convict their hearts, that they may come to believe in the only One who can save them. We pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.

THE BOOK OF ACTS

30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #3: The Church and the Sacraments

30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #3: The Church and the Sacraments

Acts 2:41-47

30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #2: The Church and Fellowship

30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #2: The Church and Fellowship

Acts 2:42

30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #4: The Church and the Prayers

30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #4: The Church and the Prayers

Acts 2:42

30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #1: The Church and The World

30th Anniversary Seminar - Message #1: The Church and The World

Acts 2:42

Lessons From The First Church

Lessons From The First Church

Acts 2:42-47

Always Ready to Defend the Faith

Always Ready to Defend the Faith

Acts 6:8-15

The First Christian

The First Christian

Acts 11:19-26

Low Expectations

Low Expectations

Acts 12:1-19

Message 5: The Church & Discipleship

Message 5: The Church & Discipleship

Acts 14:20-28

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Acts 16:30-31

God Encouraged His Servant

God Encouraged His Servant

Acts 18:9-17

The End of the Second Missionary Journey

The End of the Second Missionary Journey

Acts 18:18-28

The Beginning of the Third Missionary Journey

The Beginning of the Third Missionary Journey

Acts 19:1-7

The Riot at Ephesus

The Riot at Ephesus

Acts 19:21-41

The Characteristics of a Faithful Servant

The Characteristics of a Faithful Servant

Acts 20:1-6

The Lord's Day Worship Service

The Lord's Day Worship Service

Acts 20:7-16

The Characteristics Of The Faithful Servant (Part 1)

The Characteristics Of The Faithful Servant (Part 1)

Acts 20:17-19

The Characteristics of the Faithful Servant (Part 2)

The Characteristics of the Faithful Servant (Part 2)

Acts 20:20-24

A Charge to Keep (Part 1)

A Charge to Keep (Part 1)

Acts 20:25-28

The Believer's Conviction (Part 1)

The Believer's Conviction (Part 1)

Acts 21:1-6

The Believer’s Conviction (Part 2)

The Believer’s Conviction (Part 2)

Acts 21:7-16

Paul’s Arrival At Jerusalem

Paul’s Arrival At Jerusalem

Acts 21:17-26

Paul's Arrest at Jerusalem

Paul's Arrest at Jerusalem

Acts 21:27-39

Paul's Response to His Arrest

Paul's Response to His Arrest

Acts 21:40-22:21

The People’s Response to Paul

The People’s Response to Paul

Acts 22:22-30

Paul Stood Before the Sanhedrin

Paul Stood Before the Sanhedrin

Acts 23:1-11

God's Miraculous Deliverance (Part 1)

God's Miraculous Deliverance (Part 1)

Acts 23:12-17

God’s Miraculous Deliverance (Part 2)

God’s Miraculous Deliverance (Part 2)

Acts 23:18-35

The Accusers before the Roman Governor Felix

The Accusers before the Roman Governor Felix

Acts 24:1-9

Paul’s Defence Before Felix

Paul’s Defence Before Felix

Acts 24:10-21

Felix's Response to Paul's Defence

Felix's Response to Paul's Defence

Acts 24:22-27

Paul’s Defence Before Festus

Paul’s Defence Before Festus

Acts 25:1-12

Paul Stood Before King Agrippa (Part 1)

Paul Stood Before King Agrippa (Part 1)

Acts 25:13-27

Paul Stood Before King Agrippa (Part 2)

Paul Stood Before King Agrippa (Part 2)

Acts 26:1-18

Paul Stood Before King Agrippa (Part 3)

Paul Stood Before King Agrippa (Part 3)

Acts 26:19-32

A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed

A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed

Acts 27:1-12

What Can Trials Do To Us?

What Can Trials Do To Us?

Acts 27:13-26

The Prophecy Came to Pass

The Prophecy Came to Pass

Acts 27:27-44

Paul's Arrival at Rome

Paul's Arrival at Rome

Acts 28:1-16

The Story Did Not End Here

The Story Did Not End Here

Acts 28:17-31