What must I do to be saved?
That question in its various forms has plagued people ever since the fall into sin.
If the all-important answer can be found in keeping God’s commands or staying on his good side by being a good person, we haven’t done that. We can’t. We want to do something to earn our salvation or even just have some small part in being saved, but the harsh reality is, that isn’t something humankind can do.
It’s impossible.
That’s what God’s law preached to us shows and does. It crushes our sinful hearts—and it’s meant to do just that. If we don’t hear and know how miserably we have failed to keep all of God’s commands, if we begin to think to ourselves that we’re doing just fine on our own—what do we need Jesus for?
Our possessions—our wealth or whatever we’re holding on to as a sense of security and confidence in our lives—often make us feel like we’re in control of things. We need the law to rip that deadly lie away from us and show us plainly, painfully, how we are not doing just fine on our own. Not even close.
“Who then can be saved?”
Jesus was once asked that question—how can it not be on our hearts as well? Left to ourselves, we’d be clinging to the things we don’t want to let go of, even though those are the very things killing us. They’re not our salvation. God’s law shows us—it’s impossible for us to save ourselves. Thank God that he didn’t leave us there. The question isn’t who can be saved, but how? It’s the question God wants us to ask so he can tell us the amazing answer!
This is the beating heart of the gospel message—the sure and certain hope that you and I hold on to with a white-knuckled grip with the help of our Savior-God who holds us fast.
Who can be saved? We can’t do it. Only God can do it. It has to be all God because he’s the only way that we’re getting home to heaven. He promises us that in his Word. See your Savior there, doing what only he can do.
See the Son of God doing the impossible—for you. Keeping God’s Law perfectly and then dying on a shameful cross, carrying the sins of the world upon his back—the sins of self-reliance and looking to ourselves for our salvation—all of our sins on Jesus’ back.
Whatever they are, no matter what they are, you need to know—they’re gone.
Your sins have been taken away by our Savior, washed away in his blood. Paid in full. The empty tomb stands witness that God’s stamp of approval is on Jesus’ work. Heaven’s gates thrown open wide. And there our Savior says, “Come, follow me.”
Why? Not because of anything we have or haven’t done, but all because of Jesus and what he’s done, freely out of love for us. That is God’s grace to us, the love our heavenly Father pours out on us. There’s nothing left for us to do to earn our salvation. Jesus has done it all.
Yes, the law that is preached is necessary—it crushes our sinful hearts and produces dependence on God for our salvation. In the gospel, our broken hearts are healed by our Savior’s acts of love for us. That changes everything for us. It changes how we see our relationship with God. Dependence on God for our salvation is not restrictive. Following his commands and listening to what he says in his Word are freeing.
What does that look like in our lives as Christians? We’re not following God because that’s how we get to heaven. We’re not listening to his voice because that’s how we’ll earn his love and our salvation. Heaven is already ours—our God already loves us—salvation has been given to us freely by our Savior Jesus.
As redeemed children of God in Jesus Christ, we want to follow our God and listen to him! Everything we do in this life is an opportunity to thank and praise him, done out of love for the one who has done all things for us.
Who then can be saved? You. Me. All because of Jesus.
The engaging writing and vivid word pictures in Pastor Roy W. Hefti’s practical, easy-to-read devotional commentary on Paul’s letter to the Galatians will help you live in the certain joy of God’s gospel message: Jesus has done it all. Learn more in Galatians: The Beating Heart of the Gospel.
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Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.
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