"What Must I Do?"

"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"  Acts 16:30
"And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  Luke 18:18

The age old question-- "What must I do to be saved?"  It was asked by a Roman jailer.  It was asked by a young Jewish ruler.  They both asked, "What must I do?"  The emphasis in the question was on "I".  We think that there is something we can do to be saved, to have eternal life, to enter into heaven, to be right with God. 

We think that there must be some "good work" or "religious deed" that we can do to be saved.  We think that if we keep the commandments, if we attend church, if we are baptized, if we join a church, if we help the poor, if we read our Bibles, if we give offerings to the church, then we are "saved". 

"I" can't do anything to save myself.  I can't do enough good deeds to save myself.  Adam and Eve tried to save themselves all the way back in the Garden of Eden by sewing fig leaves together to cover their sin.  It wasn't possible then, it still isn't possible now. 

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8)  Salvation is a gift.  It is something that is given, not something that is earned.  There is only one thing that you can do to be saved-- receive the gift. 

God loved the world so much that He gave.  He gave the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ His Son.  We don't earn the gift.  We don't work for it.  We don't purchase it.  We believe that it is intended for us.  Then we receive it by faith.  That is the only "work" we can do.  Have you?  Or are you still trying to work for it?  Are you still trying to be good enough to posses it?  You and I never will be good enough or do enough to earn it.  We just have to receive it.   

Have a great day.  There is nothing you can do to be saved, other than put your faith in Jesus Christ to save you.