Before we discuss what must I do to be saved. Let's set a few ground rules:
Romans 16:25 tells us where our good news comes from and Romans 11:13 tells us who the messenger is; it also tells us that this message was kept secret, hid in the mind of God. Until He revealed it to the apostle Paul.
Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
Romans 11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
The Lord Jesus Christ tells us that the apostle Paul is the apostle of the Gentiles, therefore we being Gentiles, should follow Paul our apostle. That means that our spiritual direction comes only from the writings of the apostle Paul. Go back to Romans 11:13 that also means that our spiritual directions can not come from the twelve apostles nor can they come from the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, because His gospel of the kingdom was for the Jews only who were under the law. (Matthew 15:24). The Gentiles were not included in the gospel of the kingdom. And this is why:
Matthew 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
There are no Gentiles in the house of Israel. Therefore the apostle Paul is our pattern for everlasting life; we must follow Paul as he followed Christ. Jesus Christ came to fulfil the promises made to the fathers His earthly mission.
1Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Read Acts 9:15 where the Lord Jesus Christ chose the apostle Paul to reveal His gospel to the Gentiles..., it is the gospel of the grace of God it is the mystery that was hid in the mind of God since the world began, Christ did not mentioned this secret to anyone when He walked on earth nor did the Prophets know of it. This dispensation of grace is for the growing of the church the body of Christ. Therefore we must not neglect the writing's of the apostle Paul. The Holy Spirit tell us the consequences will be in the following two verses.
(2 Corinthians 4:3-4):
v3. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
v4. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
In the next four verses we are given Paul's gospel in a nut shell, it is the gospel by which we are saved.
(1 Corinthians 15:1-4):
v1. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
v2. By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
v3. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
v4. And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Before God saved the apostle Paul and sent him to the Gentiles. The Gentiles were without God in this world and we had no hope.
Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Then after Paul was saved Judaism was no longer the only way to God for a Gentile. But it was still guarded with a passion by the Jews, they forbid Paul to speak to the Gentiles. But now by God's grace anyone who believes 1Corinthians 15:1-4 has an open door to the throne room of God's grace. It is not by our works of righteousness that we have done that opens that door, it is by faith in Christ's finished work on the cross. We must believe in His death, burial, resurrection and ascension to opens the door for you and me.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit;
God says the Gentiles are not part of the covenants of promise of Israel: The Gentile were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and they could not come before the throne of grace on our own. The woman at the well also admitted to the Lord Jesus that salvation only came through the Jews.
Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
When the Greeks asked to see Jesus. He told the apostles that brought Him of their request:
John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
In the passage above Christ is saying that He must die and raise again before salvation could be opened to the Gentiles. In the passages below Christ tells us through the apostle Paul that we should not follow His earthly ministry because it was to and for the Jews only under the law, whether we like it or not, Christ's earthly ministry was to and for the Jews only and it was totally under the law. That is why we should not try to follow the gospel of the kingdom.
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Galatians 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
We are not under the law. In these next few verses we are given a completely different commission than that of the twelve. We are not priests we are Ambassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ.
(2Corinthians 5:16-21):
v16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
v17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
v18. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
v19. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
v20. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's' stead, be ye reconciled to God.
v21. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
In light of what I have just shown you, please consider these next six verses: Correctly titled the Roman road of salvation. To be saved you must believe the Gospel 1Corinthians 15: 1-4 then you are saved. I have always heard you must ask Jesus into your heart and you will be saved. But the scriptures say we must believe the gospel to be saved; therefore I believe the Scriptures not fallible man. The roman road tells us why we must believe the gospel to be saved.
"The Roman Road of Salvation"
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved
The apostle Paul wrote the epistle to the Romans and these six verses are thoughtfully called the Roman road to salvation. Follow the Roman road by faith in Christ's finished work on the cross and be saved. If we can not agree with the Roman road then our fate is sealed in the next verse.
2Corinthians 4:3. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
According to the Scriptures there is no other way to be saved than through the gospel that Paul preached. Understand this fact if Paul's gospel is hid or veiled to us then the Scriptures say we are lost. Really I can not see any other way to read this verse. Verse 4 tells us why.
2Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
There is no other mind treatment known to man that will remove the blindness described above in verse 4, only the gospel of the grace of God that was given to us by the apostle Paul. And Paul calls it my gospel.
Don't forget the gospel that the twelve preached is no longer with us it is put on hold for now, but it will be reinstated along with the nation of Israel during the tribulation. At that time this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world (the great commission) by 144,000 young Jewish missionaries 12,000 from each tribe. But then, it will be a death warrant; for embracing the gospel of the kingdom during the tribulation it will almost certainly cost one their life. Take note these 144000 young missionaries are all Jews. The following verse tells us why this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world.
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
In other words to be saved during the tribulation one must believe the gospel of the kingdom. When the church the body of Christ is removed; the gospel of the grace of God will no longer exist. The Great commission given to the twelve before the Lord Jesus Christ ascended back to the father is the gospel of the kingdom. If it could have been preached in all the world then believers would have to become Jewish proselyte at that time.
Now let's give some thought to the ones who say we are following the great commission today; if that was true, then where is the Temple? My friend the great commission and water baptism are both Jewish customs and both are under the law. You can not mix law and grace! Finally after the church the body of Christ is removed from earth then the gospel of the kingdom can be preached again. The gospel of the kingdom will then be preached in all the world, therefore- this will be- the great commission!