WHAT MUST YOU DO TO BE SAVED?

by | Apr 6, 2014 | 2014 | 0 comments

Years ago, while still at school, I remember wanting to go to university.

I was only in grade 10, but started enquiring about what I needed in order to gain entrance to the university of my choice. The simple answer was that I had to obtain a certain amount of points to qualify for acceptance. I started doing the calculations. So many points for an A in Biology, so many points for a C in Maths, and so on. I then set out to make sure I met the grades that would take me over the winning line and into the entrance gate. I suppose it still works the same way today.

Years later, when I was working, I needed to register with a professional organisation because of my type of work. Once again I enquired about what I needed in order to gain entrance. The simple answer was that I had to have so many years of experience, certain academic qualifications, and so on. The same process as before, just a different scorecard.

It is therefore maybe no surprise that the young rich ruler approached Jesus one day and asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17; Luke 18:18). It is possible that the man was just looking for the easiest route, but it is also possible that he knew how things worked in the society of his day, which is not so different from ours today. If you want to get into this or that exclusive club, university, organisation, or team, you already know that you have to do something. You have to meet certain standards and criteria. Not so?

Many of us Christians have the same mindset. What must we do to stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life? Even in the book of Romans we read in chapter two about works and judgement. Verse six says that God will reward us according to what we have done. Many will quote such verses to justify the idea that we must work to achieve to some level to obtain eternal life. In other words, we must work towards being saved and continually produce good works to remain saved. Recently I heard people mention the book of James in this regard. Chapter two talks about the fact that faith without works is dead.

Scraping together enough points?

So we as Christians often go through life wondering if we’ve done enough to be saved. Some days we feel we’ve made the grade, other days we just know we’ve failed. Then we try again and again and hopefully we will be able to scrape enough points together to qualify to be saved. The even sadder part is that many a church and pastor preaches this kind of theology. How many times have you not heard someone say that they sometimes wonder if they will make it?

So what must you do to be saved? The answer is quite simple. There is nothing you can do. You can never scrape together enough points or good deeds to qualify. Christ’s disciples realised this with great horror and trepidation. In the story of the rich, young ruler Jesus later says to his disciples, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” The disciples were even more amazed and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” (Mark 10:25-26). It is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a sowing needle. The camel was the largest animal found in the Middle East at that time and the eye of a needle was probably one of the smallest openings commonly in use in that society. The contrast is vivid. It is no wonder the disciples said it is impossible. But here is the crux of the matter. Jesus looked at them and said, “Humanly speaking it is impossible, but not with God. Everything is possible with God.” (Mark 10:27 NLT).

The Gospel (Good News) is exactly this point that we are saved. Not that we can be saved. For while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). “For God so loved the world that he gave us his only begotten son so that we might not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The Gospel is not that if we do this and that we can be saved, but we are saved through Christ and nothing else.

What about works?

So what about what Paul says in Romans 2 and James says in James 2? Well, firstly Paul is not talking about works per se in Romans 2. He is talking about how we judge and condemn others. While James says ‘faith’ without works is dead, not ‘salvation’ without works is dead.
The Bible says we must believe. Believe in what? We must believe Christ did die for our sins and did rise again to give us eternal life, or save us. We have to have faith that this is so and that type of faith and belief will drastically influence how we think and what we do (works). In other words, we don’t do good works to be saved; we do good works because we are saved and this out of love and gratitude for Jesus.

A change of attitude

I heard a true story that highlights this concept. I apologise if the finer details are incorrect, but the basis of the story is that during WWII an American ship was lost in the Pacific during combat. A lady whose son was on the ship received the news back home and was absolutely broken, as can well be imagined. She went into deep sorrow. She wore only black, closed up all the windows and refused to go outside or do anything. Nobody could console her. She lived like that for many months, not doing anything, just letting everything go to ruin, including her own health. Then one day she received a letter in the post. She instantly recognised the handwriting on the envelope, it was her son’s. Opening it with trembling hands she read the letter. In short, the letter was from her son saying that he was alive and that due to the war and other circumstances he initially was unable to get word to her. He had been discharged and would soon be on his way home. Imagine the mother’s joy!

Her son was alive and straight away she pulled the curtains open, let in fresh air and changed out of her black, mourning clothes and started singing and dancing. She hurriedly let all her family and friends know and started getting everything ready for her son’s return. What had changed? Her son had been alive all the time. That hadn’t changed. Only her knowledge and understanding of the situation had changed and that changed her whole attitude and all of her actions.

Jesus lovingly tells the rich young man to give up all and follow him (Mark 10:21). A similar encounter happens with Paul and Silas, when their jailer asks, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:30-31).

The conclusion of the matter is found in Ephesians 2:8-10: For it is by grace you have been saved – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works. For we are God’s workmanship.

 
1 The oft-repeated suggestion that one of Jerusalem’s gates was called the Needle’s Eye is unsubstantiated. And in any case that scenario of a loaded camel going through that tiny gate is not impossible. Difficult maybe. Sowing needles made from bone did exist in Jesus’ time.

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