A - ACCEPT what God says about you:
We are sinners: "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
Penalty of sin for us: "For the wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23
B - BELIEVE what Christ did for you:
God gave His Son out of love. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son . . ." John 3:16
Christ died for our sins: ". . . how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." I Corinthians 15:3
Christ took our place: "Who his own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree." I Peter 2:24
C - CONFESS your need of a Savior:
"Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3
Confess Jesus as your personal Savior: "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." Romans 10:9

“How Can I Be Saved?”

“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.” - (Acts 16:30-31)

This question was asked by the jailer in charge of the custody of the Apostle Paul and Silas. These men of God were imprisoned because of preaching the Gospel.  Paul cast out a demon in a slave girl who was used by her masters to make a profit. The power of God had been proven to be a greater power than the power of Satan!

The delivered girl’s masters went to the Roman authorities and had Paul and Silas arrested and they were thrown into jail. They were beaten prior to being jailed but their suffering did not squelch their joy and testimony for the Lord. They, in fact, had a “prayer and praise time” and their joy and testimonies captured the attention of the jailer. He became a captive under conviction!

The jailer, under conviction, recognized his sin condition and, no doubt, the reality of eternity. He knew he was unsaved for he asked about being saved. His question would result in him being delivered from the bondage of sin and literally redeemed out of sin’s prison house.

This passage of Scripture reveals the miraculous deliverance of Paul and Silas out of prison but the greatest deliverance was the deliverance of the Philippian jailer out of the prison house of sin by the grace of God!

The jailer, under conviction, asked the question, “What must I do to be saved?” The answer provided by Paul proved the point that salvation is made possible by a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul told him to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”  He also informed him that salvation was assured for he used words of surety.   Notice “…and thou shalt be saved...” (Verse 31)

Our world is a world made up of many religions and many belief systems. There are multiple approaches to the answer in respect to the issue of salvation. Religions are confusing and distorting the correct answer to the question, “How Can I Be Saved?”  The best and safest approach is the acceptance of the literal statement of Scripture. Paul directed the jailer’s attention to the Lord Jesus Christ as the answer to his inquiry concerning salvation.

You may be asking the same question, “How can I be saved?”  Please allow me to outline a Biblical approach to the subject of “being saved.”  The Bible highlights the truth of man’s sinful condition and ultimate condemnation unless the sin problem is taken care of through salvation. The Bible highlights the wonderful good news of Christ’s full provision for the sinner at Calvary. The Bible also highlights the method of “being saved.”

I will outline my approach in a fourfold way concerning Scriptural facts. They are: The fact of sin’s problem, The fact of sin’s penalty, The fact of sin’s provision, and The fact of the sinner’s personal responsibility.

How can a person be saved? They must be willing to accept the truth of the Word of God concerning their condition and the Saviour’s provision at Calvary.

You will notice that the Philippian jailer asked what he had to do in order to be saved. The answer given to him by Paul was that his “doing” had to line up with his “believing!”  Salvation was based upon “believing” but the “believing” must have as its object Christ and His provision for sinners at the cross!  A saving faith in Christ’s finished work recognizes the fact of personal sin, consequential guilt, and threat of ultimate judgment. Salvation is of the Lord and only made possible by the workings of the Holy Spirit in bringing conviction to the sinner through the Word of God.

The Holy Spirit convicts of the fact of sin, the fact of Christ’s perfect righteousness, and the fact of coming judgment.  “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.” – John 16:8-11

The Holy Spirit convicts through the Word of God in sealing the truths in the heart concerning the sin problem and Christ’s provision for sin. The Bible clearly states the sinner’s condition and the Saviour’s provision but the Holy Spirit must, through conviction, bring the truths home to the heart.

You may ask, what are the truths to be believed? I will take them in the order given above and number them chronologically. They are:

1. The Fact of Sin’s Problem. We all are sinners by nature and by choice. We inherited the fallen nature of our father, Adam. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” – Romans 5:12  We sin by choice. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”  – Romans 3:23  Every human being is a sinner gone astray. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” – Isaiah 53:6

2. The Fact of Sin’s Penalty. The Bible reveals that sin has the attachment of a penalty. That penalty is stated in another verse. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:23  The ultimate penalty for sin is the second death or eternal death in the lake of fire. “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” – Revelation 20:11-15  Death is the result of sin.

Death can be viewed in a threefold way: spiritual death, physical death, and eternal death. Unsaved people may be alive physically but dead spiritually. “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;” – Ephesians 2:1 Paul told the Ephesian Christians that they had been dead in sins prior to being made alive or “quickened!”  They were dead spiritually before being saved.

Death is also physical or death, bodily. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” – Hebrews 9:27  This physical death is a certain experience of all human beings with the exception of the rapture of the saints when Christ returns.

The tragedy of all tragedy is the second death! Those who die without a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ will most certainly experience this terrible “second death!”

There is a penalty for sin!

3. The Fact of Sin’s Provision.  Jesus died for sinners! “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” – Hebrews 2:9  Jesus became our substitute for sin when He died on the cross. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” – II Corinthians 5:21  “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8  “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” – Isaiah 53:6

4. The Fact of Personal Responsibility.  Salvation is of the Lord but the sinner must personally accept God’s offer of  salvation by receiving Christ as personal Saviour. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” – John 1:12  “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. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – Romans 10:9-13

How can I be saved?  Do you believe you are indeed a sinner? Do you realize the guilt and penalty for your sin? Do you believe that Jesus paid your sin debt at Calvary? Do you believe that He will save you if you ask Him in faith believing?

Imagine yourself being in debt over your head. Imagine going to a creditor concerning your debt problem and him telling you that you are no longer in debt, for a friend paid off your debt! You may ask him to prove that you are indeed debt free and he shows you your debt statement stamped “paid in full!”

Jesus shed His precious blood for us at Calvary and died for our sins. He paid our sin debt and arose from the grave to prove that the debt had been paid. “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” – I Corinthians 15:3-4  “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” – Romans 4:25

Do you believe that if you were to accept Him now that He would save you and give you eternal life?  He says He will. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” – John 10:28

Are you willing to pray this prayer from the heart, for salvation is a “heart” thing. “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” – Romans 10:10

“Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner and I believe that Jesus took my place as a sinner at Calvary. I believe that He died for me, was buried, and arose from the dead. Be merciful to me a sinner and save me for Jesus sake.” Amen

If you accepted Christ as your personal savior, bow your head and thank Him for saving your soul. I also ask that you give us the privilege of rejoicing with you so please send a note to this Church website letting us know that you were saved.

“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.” -  (Acts 16:30-31)

Pastor Chuck Peters, Smith Grove Baptist Church, Colfax, N.C.