The question asked, first by the Phillipian Jailer, and by millions of poor souls since, is: What must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:30)
It is a question for which many different men of many different ages have proposed many different answers. Many have supposed that if we do enough good works or live righteously enough, that will be enough to get us into heaven. Others say that we if we were to fast, pray a certain number of times a day, and do penance, God will save us. Others yet teach that if we die for God's sake, he will let us into heaven. But will doing any of these holier things truly bring us salvation? Most, if not all the major theistic religions of the world teach that we must do works of some sort to obtain salvation and deliverance from hell. But is this really the case?
Think about it - if we were guilty of rebellion against a holy and righteous God, do we think that doing as many good works as possible would even lessen the eternal consequences of our rebellion? How much more, then, would those good works atone for our sin? If a criminal has been found guilty of multiple cases of first-degree murder, and he was sentenced to three life sentences, would doing as many good things as he could prior to his imprisonment somehow cut down on the time he would spend in prison?
The truth is, man is guilty before God. There is nothing man can do to remedy the situation. By works shall no flesh be justified. Those who try to justify themselves by doing good works are doing about as much good to themselves as a vehicle stuck in a snowdrift spinning its tires in an attempt to get out.
God is holy (Lev. 11:44). He demands justice to be served (Ex. 20:5). Without shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins (Heb. 9:22). Hence, an atonement must be made. In the Old Testament, this was done through continual sacrifices of animals. These were temporary sacrifices, which prevented God's wrath from abiding on those covered by them - and they all looked ahead to the Great Sacrifice, God's own Son Jesus Christ, who would cover the sins of his people once and for all. He is able ... to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Heb.7:25)
It is only by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and the blood which he spilled that we can obtain redemption. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. (Eph. 1:7).
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
The statutes and ordinances commanded by God of the Israelites are a schoolmaster, to bring them to Christ (Gal. 3:24). The law shows people their depravity and utter hopelessness, and their need of Christ's redemption. The law brings people to faith in the only One who can save them.
Unbelievers today nail Jesus again to the cross, and want Him dead. They cannot stand Him. They cannot stand to believe, even for a moment, that they are lost, depraved, guilty, and worthy of condemnation to the uttermost. Indeed, the gospel is offensive. There is nothing more damaging to one's pride than the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it forces us to admit that we on our own cannot do anything, being lost, and the only way we can be justified is by faith through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But God is bigger than we are, and He has already decreed the name by which we must be saved - Jesus Christ. Men can try to create their roads ways to God, but as hard as they try, the roads that they create (as diverse as they might be) all end up at the same place - hell.
This is what sinners need to hear. Not some feely-goody motivational sermons, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Him Crucified. The name of Christ is the most blasphemed name in all the earth, and His people are the most hated in all the earth, but we must not let these things stop us. For although the whole world be against us, God is still for us, and He will reign supreme. In him, we have the victory. What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (Rom. 8:31).
Therefore, let us give ourselves completely up to God, for greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Because of Him, we can rejoice, and take pleasure in even the bleakest circumstances. Let us therefore go forth, for the victory has already been won.
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