What Must I Do to Be Saved?
A clear and simple answer from the King James Bible
It’s the most important question anyone can ask:
“What must I do to be saved?” – Acts 16:30
This question wasn’t asked in a church or seminary. It was asked by a Roman jailer who had just seen an earthquake, thought he was going to die, and realized he wasn’t ready to meet God.
Thankfully, the answer was direct, simple, and powerful.
“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” – Acts 16:31, KJV
No complex formula. No church system. No secret election. No works.
Just this: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
What Does It Mean to Be Saved?
To be saved means to be:
Forgiven of all your sins
Made right with God
Rescued from judgment and eternal death
Given everlasting life
Adopted into God’s family
And all of this comes through Jesus Christ.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:23
You Can’t Save Yourself
Every religion in the world offers a path of works: Do more. Try harder. Be better.
But the Bible says you cannot save yourself:
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…” – Titus 3:5
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works…” – Ephesians 2:8–9
Salvation is not about what you do, but about what Christ already did.
What Did Jesus Do?
“Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day…” – 1 Corinthians 15:3–4
Jesus took your place. He bore your punishment. And He conquered death.
Now He offers salvation — not as a reward, but as a gift.
What Must You Do?
1. Believe the Gospel
“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” – John 3:18
You don’t need a theological degree. You don’t need a feeling. You don’t need a religious ritual.
You need to believe — to trust — in Jesus Christ alone.
2. Confess Him as Lord
“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.” – Romans 10:9–10
It’s not enough to simply agree in your head. Salvation is a heart response and a personal confession:
“Jesus is Lord. He died for me. I believe in Him.”
What It Does Not Say
Let’s be clear — the Bible does not say:
“Be baptized to be saved”
“Keep the commandments to be saved”
“Join a church to be saved”
“Wait and see if you’re elect”
“Hope you’re good enough in the end”
It says:
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” – Acts 16:31
That’s it.
Do You Want to Be Saved?
Here’s the gospel in plain words:
You are a sinner (Romans 3:23)
Jesus died for your sins and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3–4)
You can’t save yourself (Ephesians 2:8–9)
But God offers salvation freely through Jesus Christ
You must believe on Him to be saved (Romans 10:9–13)
You Can Be Saved Right Now
If you believe this, don’t wait.
Call out to Him in faith — not with perfect words, but with a believing heart:
“Lord Jesus, I know I’m a sinner. I believe you died for me and rose again. I trust you now as my Savior. Please save me.”
The Bible says:
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – Romans 10:13
That promise is for you.
A Final Word
You don’t need a system. You don’t need to be chosen in some hidden way. You don’t need to clean yourself up first.
You need Jesus.
And if you trust Him — right now — you will be saved.
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