What Must I Do to Be Saved?

ou have broken God’s holy Law. You don’t think so? “I’m not so bad,” you tell yourself.

Really? Ask yourself some questions. Have you ever lied? Yes, you have. Have you ever stolen anything? Yes, you have.

Have you ever committed adultery? Yes, you have, because Jesus says that to even lust after a woman is the same as committing adultery. My friend, you have broken three out of ten. And by desiring her in the first place, you are coveting someone’s wife or daughter. That’s four.

Shall we try for five out of ten? Jesus says to hate someone is to commit the sin of murder in your heart. And that’s where sin starts. Let’s check the balance sheet. You have admitted that you are a lying, thieving, covetous, murdering, adulterer—and we’ve only looked at five of the ten.

Shall we go for six? By doing all these things, you have dishonored your father and mother. My friend, you’ve broken six out of ten. If you will be honest with yourself, you have broken all the others, too. And these are just a summary of God’s holy Law.

You’ve got a problem, my friend. And it’s a serious problem, because the penalty for breaking God’s Law is severe indeed. But it’s not just your problem. It’s my problem, too. In fact, it’s everybody’s problem. The penalty is death, and not just physical death. The penalty is eternal death, separation from God in a place that you really don’t want to go to.

But there’s some good news. In fact, it’s great news. That eternal penalty has already been paid. God Himself paid it and paved the road for our salvation through Jesus Christ.

The road to salvation through Jesus Christ is clearly presented in the New Testament. These Seven Principles of Salvation are set forth in Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Ø All people are born sinners. We are all unrighteous people.

As it is written, “Not even one person is righteous. No one understands. No one searches for God. All have turned away. Together they have become worthless.” —Romans 3:10-12

This means that no one is righteous before God and, in fact, no one is even searching for Him.

Ø All people sin. Our best efforts will never measure up.

… since all have sinned and continue to fall short of God’s glory. —Romans 3:23

This means that you have sinned. You have not earned, and do not deserve, eternal life. There are two things you need to know to be saved: First, you need to know that you are a sinner who has violated God’s laws. Second, you need to know that there is a terrible and eternal price for sin.

Ø The price of sin is death.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to everyone, because all have sinned. —Romans 5:12

Adam sinned and gave Satan a foothold in the world. By nature, we are all separated from God. We are all born in sin. We deserve death and hell.

Ø Jesus paid your debt by dying in your place.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord. —Romans 6:23

You have earned death, not eternal life. So Jesus, in effect, went to the “Bank of Heaven” and paid your debt for you. Jesus paid the price for you to obtain salvation and eternal life. You cannot earn this payment. Eternal life must be accepted as a gift from God.

Ø Christ died in your place, paying your price, and suffering so that you would not have to suffer eternally.

But God demonstrates his love for us by the fact that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. — Romans 5:8

Due to unconditional love, Christ died in your place, paying a debt He did not owe. We all have an unpaid debt of sin that Christ is willing to pay for us. How do we get our debts paid by Christ? If you accept His payment of your debt by receiving Him as your Lord and Savior, He will make you His child and take you to heaven when you die.

Ø His invitation is open to anyone… even you.

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” — Romans 10:13

The word “everyone” includes you. How do you “call on the name of the Lord” to be saved?

Ø You must confess your sin, declare His Lordship, and believe in your heart that God raised Christ from the dead.

…if you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For a person believes with his heart and is justified, and a person declares with his mouth and is saved. — Romans 10:9-10

The Bible promises us that God forgives our sin when we accept the work that Christ did for us when He died on Calvary. You can do this by praying this short, simple prayer:

“Lord, Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I need you. I know that you paid the price for my sins by dying on the cross. I ask that you forgive my sins; and I receive you as my Savior and Lord. I thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be. Amen.”

Look to God’s Word for encouragement as you begin your new life in Christ. Remember these simple truths from God’s Word:

If we make it our habit to confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us those sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. —1 John 1:9

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. —Romans 8:16

For by such grace you have been saved through faith. This does not come from you; it is the gift of God and not the result of works, lest anyone boast. —Ephesians 2:8

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us. —Romans 8:18

I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. —1 John 5:13

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have disappeared, and—look!—all things have become new! All of this comes from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ… —2 Corinthians 5:17-18a

Suras of the Qur’an (Arabic)

1. Al-Fâtihah	39. Az-Zumar	77. Al-Mursalât
2. Al-Baqarah	40. Ghâfir	78. An-Naba'
3. Âl-'Imrân	41. Fussilat	79. An-Nazi'ât
4. An-Nisâ	42. Ash-Shûra	80. 'Abasa
5. Al-Mâidah	43. Az-Zukhruf	81. At-Takwîr
6. Al-An'âm	44. Ad-Dukhân	82. Al-Infitâr
7. Al-A'râf	45. Al-Jâthiya	83. Al-Mutaffifîn
8. Al-Anfâl	46. Al-Ahqâf	84. Al-Inshiqâq
9. At-Taubah	47. Muhammad	85. Al-Burûj
10. Yûnus	48. Al-Fath	86. At-Târiq
11. Hûd	49. Al-Hujurât	87. Al-A'lâ
12. Yûsuf	50. Qâf	88. Al-Ghâshiyah
13. Ar-Ra'd	51. Az-Zâriyât	89. Al-Fajr
14. Ibrahîm	52. At-Tûr	90. Al-Balad
15. Al-Hijr	53. An-Najm	91. Ash-Shams
16. An-Nahl	54. Al-Qamar	92. Al-Lail
17. Al-Isrâ'	55. Ar-Rahmân	93. Ad-Duha
18. Al-Kahf	56. Al-Wâqi'ah	94. Ash-Sharh
19. Maryam	57. Al-Hadîd	95. At-Tin
20. TâHâ	58. Al-Mujâdilah	96. Al-Alaq
21. Al-Anbiyâ'	59. Al-Hashr	97. Al-Qadr
22. Al-Hajj	60. Al-Mumtahinah	98. Al-Baiyinah
23. Al-Mu'minûn	61. As-Saff	99. Az-Zalzalah
24. An-Nûr	62. Al-Jumu'ah	100. Al-'Adiyât
25. Al-Furqân	63. Al-Munafiqûn	101. Al-Qâri'ah
26. Ash-Shu'arâ'	64. At-Taghâbun	102. At-Takâthur
27. An-Naml	65. At-Talâq	103. Al-'Asr
28. Al-Qasas	66. At-Tahrîm	104. Al-Humazah
29. Al-'Ankabût	67. Al-Mulk	105. Al-Fîl
30. ArRûm	68. Al-Qalam	106. Quraish
31. Luqmân	69. Al-Hâqqah	107. Al-Mâ'ûn
32. AsSajdah	70. Al-Ma'ârij	108. Al-Kauthar
33. AlAhzâb	71. Nûh	109. Al-Kâfirûn
34. Saba'	72. Al-Jinn	110. An-Nasr
35. AlMalâ'ikah	73. Al-Muzzammil	111. Al-Masad
36. YâSîn	74. Al-Muddaththir	112. Al-Ikhlâs
37. As-Sâffât	75. Al-Qiyâmah	113. Al-Falaq
38. Sâd	76. Al-Insân or Ad-Dahr	114. An-Nâs

Suras of the Qur’an (English)

1. The Opening	39. The Groups	77. Those Sent Forth
2. The Cow	40. The Forgiver	78. The Tidings
3. The Family of Imran	41. Explained in Detail	79. Soul Snatchers
4. The Women	42. The Consultation	80. He Frowned
5. The Feast	43. Gold Ornaments	81. Overthrowing
6. The Cattle	44. Smoke	82. The Cleaving
7. The High Places	45. Crouching	83. Defrauding
8. The Accessions	46. The Dunes	84. The Sundering
9. Repentance	47. Mohammed	85. Constellations
10. Jonah	48. Conquest	86. The Morningstar
11. The Holy Prophet	49. Inner Apartments	87. The Most High
12. Joseph	50. The Letter “Q”	88. Overwhelming
13. The Thunder	51. Winnowing Winds	89. Dawn
14. Abraham	52. The Mount	90. The City
15. The Rock	53. The Star	91. The Sun
16. The Bee	54. The Moon	92. The Night
17. The Children of Israel	55. The Beneficent	93. Morning Hours
18. The Cave	56. The Event	94. Consolation
19. Maryam	57. The Iron	95. The Fig Tree
20. Ta-Ha	58. Pleading Woman	96. The Clot
21. The Prophets	59. Banishment	97. Fate
22. The Pilgrimage	60. Examining Her	98. Evidence
23. The Believers	61. Battle Array	99. The Earthquake
24. The Lights	62. The Congregation	100. The Chargers
25. The Distinction	63. The Hypocrites	101. The Calamity
26. The Poets	64. Haggling	102. Competition
27. The Ant	65. Divorce	103. Eventide
28. The Story	66. Prohibition	104. The Gossip
29. The Spider	67. The Sovereignty	105. The Elephant
30. The Romans	68. The Pen	106. Quraysh
31. Luqman	69. The Reality	107. Almsgiving
32. The Prostration	70. The Stairways	108. Abundance
33. The Clans	71. Nooh	109. Atheists
34. Sheba	72. The Jinn	110. Divine Support
35. The Angels	73. The Enshrouded	111. The Flame
36. Ya-Seen	74. The Cloaked	112. Sincerity
37. Drawn Up in Ranks	75. The Resurrection	113. The Daybreak
38. The Letter “S ”	76. Man	114. Mankind

For Further Reading

There are nearly 30 English language translations of the Qur’an available. The highly influential Muslim Student Association has endorsed Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s The Glorious Qur’an. Other recommended translations include (in order of recommendation) Abul Ala Maududi, A. J. Arberry, Marmaduke Pickthall and N. J. Dawood. The translations by Arberry and Pickthall do not have any commentaries. Ali’s commentaries, although they are voluminous and illustrate some common Muslim thought on Islamic doctrine, are considered adequate for an introduction or for popular study, but are not considered to be scholarly or adequate for serious study. Maududi’s reference work has been released in a number of volumes. His scholarly commentaries are considered to be excellent. Dawood’s translation of the Qur’an was first published in 1956. It is available in paperback from Penguin books and is published in a prose format with only a few explanatory footnotes. The prose format results in an unclear numbering of the verses.

Abdul-Haqq, Abdivah Akbar. Sharing Your Faith with a Muslim. Minneapolis: Bethany Fellowship, 1980.

Abdul-Haqq is an associate evangelist for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. His excellent work focuses on issues such as the authenticity of the Bible and the role of Jesus Christ.

Ajijola, A. D. The Myth of the Cross. Lahore, Pakistan: Islamic Publications, 1984.

For an individual who is interested in advanced apologetics (and we do mean advanced!), this work provides some excellent opportunities to review Muslim thought on Christian doctrines of Christ.

Arnold, T. W. The Preaching of Islam. Sheikh Mohammed Ashraf, Lahore, Pakistan, 1976.

This work is considered to be a balanced and readable account of the early rise and spread of Islam.

Cooper, Anne. Ishmael My Brother. Kent, England: MARC Europe, 1985.

This work an excellent tool for group study. It includes sections prepared by teams of people with Muslim missions experience as well as questions that serve as a section review and a stimulus to practical application.

Cragg, Kenneth. The Call of the Minaret. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis, 1985.

Kenneth Cragg is an especially prolific writer. The Call of the Minaret is one of his best works.

Dermenghem, Emile. Mohammed and the Islamic Tradition. Woodstock, New York: The Overlook Press, 1981.

Translated from the French by Jean Watt, this work is an excellent sketch of the early years of Islam and its founder.

Ye’or, Bat. The Dhimmi. Rutherford, New Jersey: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1985.

Muslims claim their history is basically non-violent. The Dhimmi refutes this claim as it examines what life was really like for the so-called “protected” non-Muslim minorities under Muslim subjugation.

Ester, Sister Gulshan. The Torn Veil. Basingstoke, England: Barshalls, 1984.

Sister Ester’s work has been called “a gripping testimony of the supernatural power of God (Resource Notes: Newsletter of the Billy Graham Center Library; July, 1988, p. 1.).” It is the excellent story of a Muslim who has become a Christian.

Gilsenan, Michael. Recognizing Islam: Religion and Society in the Modern Arab World. New York: Pantheon Books, 1982.

This work examines the role of Islam in shaping the Middle East. It is very detailed, makes extensive use of transliterated Arabic words and phrases, and will make excellent reading for the serious student who wishes to understand Islamic thought and culture.

Haneef, Suzanne. What Everyone Should Know About Islam and Muslims. Des Plaines, Illinois: Library of Islam, 1985.

This work is one of the best-written portraits of Islamic life produced by a modern American Muslim writer; it is very readable and practical and contains many color photographs of Muslim families, culture and holy sites.

McDowell, Josh. The Islam Debate. San Bernardino, California: Campus Crusade for Christ, 1983.

Josh McDowell is famous for his many apologetic works, including his classic work Evidence That Demands a Verdict (San Bernardino, California: Campus Crusade for Christ, 1972). McDowell brings his expertise again in this very practical book on reaching out to Muslims and presenting an apologetic for Christ and the Bible.

Morey, Robert. The Islamic Invasion. Las Vegas: Christian Scholars Press, 2001.

Robert Morey has published over 40 apologetic books, and has an earned doctorate in Islamic studies. This work documents the growing Islamic movement worldwide and includes unique documentation of the roots of Islam in Arabic moon god worship.

Parshall, Phil. Beyond the Mosque. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1985.

Parshall, Phil. Bridges to Islam. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983.

Parshall, Phil. New Paths in Muslim Evangelization. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980.

These three works ought to be in the missions library of every Christian church in America. Parshall has penned, without doubt, some of the best contemporary works available on reaching the Muslim world.

Pfanders, Carl G. The Balance of Truth. London: Religious Tract Society, n.d.

This book is an early 20th century polemic against Islam.

Rahman, Fazlur. Islam. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1966.

When this work was released in 1966, Professor James Kriteck, Director of the Institute for Advanced Religious Studies at the University of Notre Dame, called it “the best general introduction to, and interpretation of, the Islamic religion which has yet been written in English.” No argument here, even after more than 30 years.

Rodinson, Maxine. Mohammed. London: Allen Lane, 1971.

This work is considered to be one of the best studies available on the founder of Islam.

Tisdall, William. Christian Reply to Muslim Objections. Villach, Austria: Light of Life, 1980; The Sources of Islam. Birmingham, England: Birmingham Bible Institute Press, n.d.

These books are early 20th century polemics against Islam.

About the Authors

Dr. Gleason L. Archer (chapters 1, 3, 4 and 5), Harvard and Princeton trained Professor Emeritus of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, is recognized as one of the most capable biblical and linguistic scholars of the past century. Fluent in more than a score of languages, including Arabic, Hebrew and Greek, Dr. Archer exegetes the original texts of the Bible and the Qur’an with rare insight. Dr. Archer died in 2004.

Dr. Robert A. Morey (chapters 6, 8, 9, 11 and 14) is the Executive Director of the Research and Education Foundation and the author of over forty books, some of which have been translated into French, German, Italian, Polish, Finish, Dutch, Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish, Farsi, and Chinese. He is an internationally recognized scholar in the fields of philosophy, theology, comparative religion, the cults and the occult. Dr. Morey makes his home in Southern California.

Dr. William P. Welty (chapter 13) is the Executive Director of The ISV Foundation, a non-profit California foundation that is sponsoring the translation of the International Standard Version Bible. He also writes a regular column on Islamic issues affecting the west (http://islamcommentaries.com). Mr. Welty maintains an office in Southern California.

Charles R. Welty (chapters 2, 7, 10 and 12), a former radio correspondent in the Middle East and a long time student of Islam, works in the field of television, motion pictures, and publishing. A student of classical Greek, Spanish, German and modern Hebrew, he studied comparative religions under the late Dr. Walter Martin. Mr. Welty maintains an office in Southern California.

Internet Resources

You can find more information about Islamic issues on the Internet. Some fine resources are set forth below.

Davidson Press MediaCenter

A number of fully-scripted PowerPoint™ slide presentations are available for you at no charge on the Internet at http://davidsonpress.com/mediacenter.htm. Most of the presentations are divided into chapters for instruction as an adult Sunday School course or as a course for week-night Bible studies. Permission to reproduce the speaker’s notes included in the presentation is granted to the purchaser of this book. The purchaser is also granted a license by the publisher to reproduce and distribute the presentation handouts provided that the handouts are distributed at no charge to attendees of any study based on the slide show.

ISV On-line

Davidson Press publishes the International Standard Version New Testament (the Old Testament translation is in development at press time). You can access most of its contents on the Internet at http://isv.org, the website of The ISV Foundation, which sponsored the translation of the ISV.

Free e-Sword™ Bible Study Software

You can download a free copy of the e-Sword™ Bible study software at http://e-sword.net. The ISV New Testament (including maps) are available in the e-Sword format from this site at no charge.

Arabic Resources

If you are looking for resources to help you bring the Gospel to Muslims, be sure to visit these Internet sites

· http://www.arabicbible.com (many resources for learning about how to reach Arab Muslims).

· http://www.arabicbible.com/christian/islam.htm (helpful for Christians to understand Islam)

· http://www.arabicbible.com/islam/christian_doctrine.htm (helpful for Muslims to understand Christianity)

· http://www.a-c-b.org (a resource center from Canada for Arabic-speaking Christians)

· http://www.thegrace.com (download in the Bible in Arabic)

· http://www.gospelcom.net/meco (Middle East Christian Outreach, evangelical outreach to the Middle East for 130+ years)

· http://www.arabaudio.com (Arabic language Christian songs and audio on the internet)

· http://www.inarabic.org (in association with Good News radio)

· http://www.arabicradio.org (Voice of Forgiveness shortwave radio ministry to Arabic-speaking Muslims)

· http://www.domini.org/malaga/arab/ahomeb.htm (a radio program for Christians in Arabic)

· http://www.yildun.com/index.html (Muslim site with free Qur’an software)

Other Davidson Press Publications

Davidson Press publishes an ever-growing family of fine works by some of America’s finest Christian scholars and writers. In a day when many publishers are refusing to publish works of substance and depth, Davidson Press is pleased to offer conservative works on topics of vital interest which will stimulate you to further growth in your Christian life. For more information, please visit our website at http://davidsonpress.com.