Answer
What must I do to be saved? That's an interesting question because Jesus was once asked the question: "Teacher, what must I do to be saved?" And of course he looked at this young rich man and told him to sell everything he had, and we are told in the Scripture that he went away sad. And the disciples even marveled at Jesus' response, that that teaching is hard. And Jesus makes an interesting comment where he says, "With man this is impossible, but with God it is possible." What that, to me, highlights is the fact that there's nothing really we can do to be saved. As human beings we are born into sin, and if you are born into sin, all you know all your life is sin. In fact, sin does not only separate us from God, but rather it clouds our judgment, it clouds who we are. It's impossible to choose God unless God takes an initiative and comes to you and actually revealed himself [to] who we are. Now, to illustrate this, imagine I want to see Barack Obama in the White House. Now, I can try as much as I can to say, "Hey, Mr. President, I'm here. I want to see you." But because there's something that separates me and Barack Obama, and that he's the president of the White House, I'm just, in human terms, just a commoner. It is impossible for me to make that appointment unless Barack Obama does something, and that is he wants to have a relationship with me himself, and he makes the invitations personal. So, what can I do to be saved? I think, therefore, it has to be based solely on what Jesus has done for us, his death on the cross, and his work in our lives through his Spirit will enable us to believe in him.
Answer by Dr. Vuyani Sindo
Dr. Vuyani Sindo is a lecturer at George Whitefield College in Capetown, South Africa.