WHAT MUST I DO?

"A certain lawyer stood up, and tempted Him (trying to trap Jesus), saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus responded by asking him, "What is written in the Law? How readest thou?" The lawyer replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." Jesus then told him, "Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live" (Lk. 10:25-27). In other words, you cannot do your way into heaven.

There is so much irony in such a short conversation between this "expert on the Word of God," and the very Word of God Himself. Like Satan (Matt. 4:6), he knew what the Scriptures said, but he did not allow them to change him. The Apostle John wrote that those who love God, also love His Son (1 Jn. 1:1). So, by trying to trap Jesus, he was failing to love God and failing to love Jesus, his neighbour.

The lawyer knew he was to love the LORD (YHVH - Jehovah - I Am - God) because his Bible, the Old Testament, told him to fourteen times, nine times in Deuteronomy, twice in Joshua, and three times in Psalms. What he did not know was that he was speaking to the LORD; Jesus is Jehovah! Yes, the lawyer knew the right answer, and perhaps he did love the idea of God with all his mind, but he certainly did not recognize Him, nor did he love Him with all his heart, soul, and strength.

And in reality, he wasn't all that great of a Hebrew scholar either. Had he been, he would not have asked Jesus what he should "do to inherit eternal life." Usually, one does not have to do anything to inherit; he just needs to outlive the person passing it on. The Old Testament is clear that righteousness was the result of believing in, and trusting in God. People were "saved" prior to Israel receiving the Mosaic Law (Enoch - Gen. 5:24; Noah - Gen. 6:8; Lot - Gen. 19:19; etc.), so obedience to the Law was not the answer. We are told, in the Book of Hebrews, that Enoch "pleased God" (11:6), and the next verse says that "without faith, it is impossible to please Him" (11:7). Once the Law was given, those who were called "righteous" were, in fact, righteous because they believed God (Abraham - Rom. 4:3).

On another occasion when Jesus was asked what works had to be done in order to be saved, He replied, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him (His Son Jesus) whom He (The Father) hath sent" (Jn. 3:16; 6:29). Saul of Tarsus, when meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, asked, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? (Acts 9:6). Notice he already acknowledged Jesus as Lord; what Paul wanted to know was, now that I have come to faith in You, what are Your instructions! Later, when Paul was miraculously freed from jail in Philippi, the jailer wanted to know "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Paul and Silas told him, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:30-31).

What must you do to be saved?
Believe in the Savior! Period!