What Must I Know To Be Saved?

Three times in Acts, the question is posed about what one must do to be saved. On the day of Pentecost, the Jews asked the question (Acts 2:37), as did Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus (22:10; cf. 9:6). The jailer in Philippi also inquired about this crucial issue (Acts 16:30). This is a tremendously important question, and every serious Bible student should carefully study the material surrounding these texts, synthesize them, and organize the sum of the truth on this matter (Psalm 119:160).

But another equally important question remains: "What must I know to be saved?" Many people labor under the mistaken belief that it doesn't really matter how much a person knows or understands, or whether they are precisely obedient, as long as their motive is genuine. This is a serious mistake. A good conscience does not validate error (Acts 23:1; 26:9).

The Nature of the Christian System

Everett Harrison began his book, A Short Life of Christ, this way: "Some Religions, both ancient and modern, require no historical basis, for they depend upon ideas rather than events" (1968, Eerdmans, 11). Christianity is not of this nature. It is grounded in history. Did Jesus live on this earth? Was he born of Mary, a virgin? Did he rise from the grave? If these events did not occur, the Christian religion is a hoax.

The credibility of our religious practices, therefore, is determined by what we believe. And what we believe comes from our personal investigation or confidence in a teacher who has examined the historical evidence. Sufficient teaching, therefore, must precede an acceptance of commitment to Jesus Christ.

Isaiah, looking forward to the Christian age, declared that those aspiring to be the spiritual children of God "shall be taught" by the Lord (Isa. 54:13). Jesus referred to this text and applied it to his own ministry. "And they shall all be taught of God. Every one that has heard from the Father, and has learned, comes unto me" (John 6:45). There must be teaching and learning before we can come to God (cf. Matthew 11:29; John 8:32).

The Great Commission

Matthew's account of the Lord's great commission reads as follows:

All authority has been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatever I commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:18-20).

Two things are apparent from this command. First, there is a discipling (teaching) process that culminates in immersion into a relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is how someone becomes a Christian.

After that, the "teaching them to observe all things" process helps the new disciple mature in the faith. The formula thus is: teaching plus conversion plus teaching.

It is important to separate the nature and volume of pre-conversion teaching from post-conversion instruction. It should be obvious that someone's pre-conversion education is basic and brief compared to the lifelong teaching that follows and leads to Christian maturity.

This is well illustrated by the fact that the auditors on the day of Pentecost heard the gospel for the first time, obeyed the commands connected therewith, and constituted the original church that very day. Perhaps even more dramatic is that a pagan official was taught the truth and immersed into Christ the "same hour of the night" (Acts 16:33). Obviously, only the most basic fundamental truths could have been imparted on these occasions.

Pre-Christian Knowledge

Several things are stated explicitly, or logically implied, as requirements for becoming a Christian. Since both belief and repentance are initial obligations (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38) prior to the baptism that transitions one "into" the "in Christ" relationship (Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-27; 2 Timothy 2:10), certain conclusions necessarily follow.

First, infants are excluded. They are not sinners, do not need to repent, and do not need to receive salvation.

Second, there are factual convictions that must be embraced to qualify for baptism. A fundamental requirement is that the candidate for Christianity, already believing in God, accept that Jesus of Nazareth is "the Christ, the Son of God" (Matthew 16:16; John 20:30-31). Recognizing Jesus as "the Christ" affirms that he fulfills the Old Testament promise of the Messiah. One's confession (Romans 10:10; 1 Timothy 6:12-13) that he is the Son of God proclaims both his birth to the virgin Mary (Luke 1:35) and his resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4).

Of course, no one fully comprehends the full and glorious magnitude of those truths, but there is a threshold level of comprehension that must be embraced confidently and happily.

A person who desires to be a Christian must believe the historical reality of Jesus' mission and message. This will blossom into loving trust and a willingness to surrender heartily to the principle of obedience (Hebrews 5:9). The potential Christian needs to realize that he is yielding to Jesus Christ as the Lord of his life. The Lord accepts nothing less than priority devotion (Luke 14:26).

The fledgling student will need to understand that, in submitting to the "new birth" (John 3:3-5), he will unite with Christ by replicating the Savior's death, burial, and resurrection. In repentance, he dies to the love and unrestrained practice of sin. He is buried beneath the water of baptism and is raised to walk in "newness of life" (Romans 6:3-4). In this culminating act of obedience, his sins will be washed away by the blood of Christ (Acts 22:16; Ephesians 5:26; Hebrews 9:14), and he will be esteemed as a child of God (Galatians 3:27).

Progressively, he will come to appreciate the wonderful "household of God" into which he has entered (Ephesians 2:19; 1 Timothy 3:15) and the great and wonderful family of which he is a part. At this point, the new Christian is a spiritual "babe" (1 Peter 2:2), in need of instructive nourishment and growth toward maturity. Patience by his kinsmen in the Lord must be exercised constantly.

Christian Growth

The apostle Peter admonishes that children of God are to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord" (2 Peter 3:18). This is a lifelong endeavor. Just as an infant will wither and die without nourishment and growth (John 15:1-8), so too will children of God.

Maturity comes through personal study of the sacred Scriptures, faithful attendance at regular assemblies where experienced, knowledgeable teachers provide instruction, and close fellowship with godly, mature children of God. Their exemplary attitudes and rich conversations foster growth.

Unrealistic and Unscriptural Expectations

One problem that is sometimes overlooked is that, although a person must understand certain foundational gospel truths before initially obeying, he need not have mastered an entire catalog of doctrinal errors common in the broader religious community. I have known a number of zealous but misguided people who argue that if someone did not understand the various acts of New Testament worship before being baptized, he did not know enough to submit to baptism and should therefore repeat it.

If someone studies the New Testament, learns what he must do to obey Christ and receive forgiveness of his sins, and does so, is he a Christian? What if, in his spiritual infancy, he wanders into a denominational group and takes part in unauthorized, sinful worship? Does his current lack of knowledge undo what he previously knew? In other words, does later error invalidate earlier truth?

When Simon the sorcerer committed his terrible post-baptism sin by trying to buy an apostolic gift with money, he was not instructed to be immersed again. Instead, he was corrected and encouraged to pray for forgiveness (Acts 8:19-22).

How many issues do you think Paul asked the jailer in Philippi about? Does someone need to be re-immersed if they can't remember whether they fully understood the Lord's Supper when they were converted? What about the thousands of Christians who did not, and still do not, understand the biblical position on giving out of their income on the first day of every week (1 Corinthians 16:2)? Were they not genuinely converted?

There is a desperate need for a more balanced sense of what one needs to know, and when he needs to know it—both before and after his conversion.