What must I know to be saved?
The question is often asked by those who are thinking of becoming a child of God. How much do I need to know to become a Christian? Some feel every detail is required. The Bible does not indicate this at all. What a person must know is the following:
Understand that we stand in a lost condition.
From the age of accountability (Matthew 18:3; Mark 10:14), one must realize their plight as a sinner standing in a lost condition. Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
He must know Jesus is the Son of God who died and was raised from the dead so all men(mankind) might have their sins forgiven and live eternally with God in Heaven. In other words, one must have heard the gospel, the good news, of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Now brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
Realize there are some important things to do in obedience to Jesus’ teachings…
Understand that the bible says he must believe Jesus is the Son of God. John 8:24 “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
One must know there is a need to repent of your sins Luke 13:3 “I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
One must know to confess that Jesus is God’s Son. Romans 10:30 “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Know there is a need to be baptized for the remission of sins. Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness for your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Know enough to put Christ on in baptism. Galations 3:27 “for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves in Christ.”
You will now be added by God to the church that Christ established Acts 2:47 “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Example of the Ethiopian eunich
The Ethiopian eunich heard only one Christ centered lesson from Philip before asking Acts 8:36-39 “As they traveled along the road they came to some wather and the eunuch said, Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized? And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.”
In Acts chapter 2, three thousand on the day of Pentecost heard only one gospel sermon before accepting the grace of God and obeying the plan of salvation. They did not wait around for years thinking they didn’t know enough to be followers of Christ. It is recorded they heard the gospel, were convinced of their sins, and asked what shall we do?
It is AFTER one becomes a Christian that God commands us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ. We are also to continue to study God’s Word, “the Bible” in order to be able to teach others. 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”