Surely the most important question ever asked is: What must we do to inherit eternal life? And who is better qualified to answer that question than Jesus, Peter, and Paul? So let's see what they have to say.
Peter's Sermon at Pentecost
”When the people heard [Peter's sermon at Pentecost], they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37)
The most important question asked in the first century is still the most important in the twenty-first century. And the answer is still the same!
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call."
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:38-47)
So how do the scriptures answer the critical question: What shall we do?
What Shall We Do?
Believe in Jesus Christ
Before baptism, faith in Jesus is necessary. The jailor asked Paul and Silas what should he do to be saved. They replied: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your household." (Acts 16:31) The jailor and his family were baptized.
Paul again stressed the importance of belief saying the gospel is salvation for everyone who believes. (Romans 1:15-17)
John informs us that all who believe that Jesus is the Christ are born of God. And those who believe Jesus is the Son of God overcome the world. (1 John 5:1-6)
But what of those who don't believe? "Their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur," warns Jesus. (Revelation 21:8)
Why do you suppose so much emphasis is placed on what we believe? Surely whatever we believe is nothing more than an opinion based on how we view the evidence. How could what we believe be considered a vice or virtue? The answer to that question comes from Jesus himself. "I am the way the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)
Peter echoes Jesus' words: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
We are not given a choice of who or what to believe. For eternal life we must have faith in Jesus, that he is who he claimed to be: the Christ, the Son of God, and our only hope for salvation. That much is essential.
Repent
Jesus concludes the parable of the lost coin with: "There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke: 15:10)
Paul said that God commands all people everywhere to repent. (Acts 17:30) And he repeats the theme of repentance twice more in the book of Acts. (Acts:20:21 and 26:20)
Peter too preached repentance saying that the Lord is patient, not wanting any to perish, but all to repent. (2 Peter 3:9)
What did Jesus, Paul, and Peter mean by repentance? Mere words and sentiment? No, the brand of repentance they had in mind is an abrupt change in our behavior. Think of a company of soldiers marching along. The command rings out, "To the rear, march!" In one stride they reverse course and march off in the opposite direction. Such is repentance. We discover we are in the wrong, and we completely change direction.
Confess Faith in Jesus
Confession is another requirement. Jesus said that whoever confesses him before men, he will confess before his Father in heaven. But those who deny him will be denied before his Father. (Matthew 10:32-33 NKJV)
Paul says very much the same in his letter to the Romans. "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)
Baptism
Baptism is the fourth requirement. The resurrected Jesus instructed his disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19) He also said, "No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born of the water and the Spirit." (John 3:5)
The resurrected Jesus spoke to the eleven apostles: "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16)
Responding to the plea from the Jews on the day of Pentecost, "What must we do?", Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins." (Acts 2:38)
Baptism in the scriptures meant immersion, not pouring nor sprinkling. Clearly, Paul was speaking of immersion in the passage: "Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (Romans 6:3-4)
Likewise, Philip taking the Ethiopian eunuch "down into the water" for baptism and coming "up out of the water" is a physical description of immersion. (Acts 8:37-39)
The first case for sprinkling for baptism was called "clinic baptism" because the subject was quite ill. Sprinkling for baptism was not fully accepted until the Council of Ravena in 1311 A.D. We have no reason to believe Christ ever approved of it.
New Testament scriptures, Acts in particular, records many baptisms. All were old enough to believe, no one was baptized against his will, and no infant baptism is mentioned at all. The baptism of children may have begun around 200 A.D. Tertullian, (ca. 155-230) church leader and prolific author of early Christianity, speaks of this custom originating in his own time.
What Must We Do, Jesus?
Jesus answered the "What must we do?" question twice. The following conversation is usually titled "The Rich Young Man" or "The Rich Ruler."
Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
"Which ones?" the man inquired.
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself."
"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Matthew 19:16-21) (Also Mark 10:17-21 and Luke 18:18-22)
Luke relates the following exchange between Jesus and a lawyer:
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." (Luke 10:25-28)
In summary, the scriptures detail what we must do to inherit eternal life: Believe in God and Jesus Christ, repent of your sins, confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, love God, love your neighbor as yourself, honor your father and mother, give to the poor, refrain from murder, adultery, theft, false testimony, and Mark adds "do not defraud." (Mark 10:19)
Believing, repenting, confessing, baptizing, and obeying are our marching orders as Christians. But there is more, a lot more.
"Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God because he said so. The other evidence about him has convinced them he was neither a lunatic nor a quack." Christian Reflections C. S. [Clive Staples] Lewis (1898-1963)
Note: All Scripture References are taken from the New International Version unless otherwise stated.
NKJV - New King James Version