What Must I Do To Be Lost?

This title is not a biblical question but is based upon one. The biblical question is found in Acts

16:30 and is asked of the Apostle Paul and his companions: "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

Most people would answer in one of several ways: join a church, answer all of the catechism questions and be confirmed, be baptized, go to confession, try to live a good life, or any combination of these. But Paul answered in verse 31, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (No, God does not have any grandchildren. The latter part of the statement means that if the members of your household will also believe they, too, shall be saved. The method is the same for all who are lost in sin.)

Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ means trusting Him, alone, for salvation. It is He Who died for all sinners. It is He Who paid the price of redemption from sin. It is upon the basis of His atoning death that God forgives the believing sinner and grants him a right standing in God’s court. Therefore, God is absolutely just in requiring everyone equally to receive, believe on, trust, His Son as Savior.

Now, to the original question: what must you do to be lost? Nothing. All men are lost, dead in trespasses and sins from birth (Ephesians 2:1). We soon manifest the fact by our behavior and become accountable for our every action.

What can a dead man do? Nothing. So if God has pronounced us dead, how can He demand that we do something to be saved? Since we are dead, what can we do? Again, the answer is nothing. Since Jesus Christ paid the penalty for sin and paid the price of redemption and cried from the cross, "It is finished", what could we possibly add to that work even if we would try? Nothing.

So, let’s review: What must you do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe what God has said about Him and about what He has secured for us by His death. Believe what God has said about your lost condition and your inability to remedy the condition. Then accept, by faith, the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. God promises that you will be saved if you do.

What must you do to be lost? Nothing. Ignore what God has said and go along your merry way. You don’t even have to believe anything, or deny anything. Just do nothing. You are lost as a human being and you will remain lost. You are dead in sin and you will remain dead in sin. You are condemned as a sinner and will remain under condemnation (John 3:18b). Do nothing and you will endure a Christless eternity in everlasting torment.

Doesn’t it make sense to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and live? Trust Him today.