Faith--the One Requirement For Salvation

A Person is Saved by Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ

1. The Bible teaches that to be saved a person must “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

In Acts 16:30 the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas this crucial question: “What must I do to be saved?”   The answer was simple and clear:  "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (verse 31).    The one requirement was to believe on Christ.   Faith and faith alone is what God requires of a sinner. 

2. The Bible teaches throughout the New Testament that FAITH and FAITH ALONE is necessary for salvation.

I would urge you to read carefully and prayerfully the following verses of Scripture:

In all of these passages FAITH is mentioned as being essential for salvation.   Believing in Christ is the sole condition for salvation and for receiving the gift of eternal life.

3. EPHESIANS 2:8-9 is a passage which God has given to answer this key question: HOW IS A PERSON SAVED? This important doctrinal verse is very clear about God's way of salvation.

How is a person saved? “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.”    Salvation is a gift.  It is free (paid for by the blood of Christ).  All the sinner needs to do is to receive that gift by faith.
 

4. There are those who seek to add human works to the salvation equation.   They insist that man must do certain things to earn salvation.  Yet the Bible teaches again and again that a person is not saved by works.

Here are some examples:

Titus 3:5—“Not by WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS which WE HAVE DONE, but according to His mercy He saved us.”

2 Timothy 1:9—“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, NOT ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS.”

Ephesians 2:8-9—“For by grace are ye saved THROUGH FAITH and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.”

Romans 3:28—“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith WITHOUT THE DEEDS OF THE LAW.”

Romans 4:5—“But to him that WORKETH NOT, but BELIEVETH on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

Salvation is not DOING something; it is KNOWING someone (John 17:3).

Salvation is not based on what we might do; it is based on what Christ has ALREADY DONE (John 19:30).

Salvation is not TRYING; it is TRUSTING (John 6:47).

If salvation could be earned by anything we do, then Christ’s death was a waste (Galatians 2:21).

Salvation is not WORKING; it is RESTING on the WORK of Another (Romans 4:5).

Good works are not what a man DOES in order to be SAVED;

Good works are what a SAVED MAN DOES (Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5-8).

God’s holiness utterly condemns the best man (Romans 3:10-23);

God’s grace freely justifies the worst (1 Timothy 1:15)!  

See our paper, Do or Done.  See also our study on The Difference Between Religion and Christianity.

5.  Even the devil knows God's plan of salvation.

"Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved" (Luke 8:12).

The devil does not want people to be saved.   The devil knows God's plan of salvation.  Therefore he does everything he can to deceive people and prevent them from being saved:  "lest they should believe and be saved."    God's plan of salvation is very simple:  Believe and be saved!   (Compare Acts 16:30-31).    Don't be deceived into thinking a person can be saved in any other way!

6.  The Gospel of John was written so that men might believe on Christ and have eternal life.

"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (John 20:31).

See also John 3:16; 5:24; 6:35; 6:47; 11:25-26.   The word "believe" (or related words) is found 99 times in the Gospel of John.  Eternal life is obtained by believing in Christ, and in no other way.  Have you believed on Him?

To better understand what it means to believe on the Lord, see our study on What Is Faith?

 

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