What must I do to be saved?
For people interested in serving God, this is probably the single most important question that might be asked. Philosophers and theologians have debated for centuries a question that is as old as Christianity. In fact, this very question was posed on the day the church was established (Acts 2:37). Even in New Testament times we read of three different answers being given to this one inquiry, “What must I do to be saved?” A look at the Bible will help us to resolve how Christians in the first century answered it and how those who were seeking an answer were assured by God of their salvation.
After the apostle Paul and Silas had preached in the northern Greek town of Philippi and converted some of the locals to Jesus Christ, they were accused of being law-breakers. They were then beaten, and handed over to the city jailer who “threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks” (Acts 16:24). At about midnight, while these two Christian men were singing and praying, an earthquake occurred so great that “all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened” (verse 26). The jailer, thinking that all in his charge had escaped and knowing the penalty for losing a prisoner was torture and death, was about to commit suicide when Paul shouted to him not to hurt himself as all the prisoners were still there.
The jailer, knowing his predicament, then asked Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:30-31). Our Christian friends "spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house" (verse 32) and that very hour of the night he and all his family became Christians. For this pagan unbeliever, belief in Jesus Christ was the immediate answer he needed.
On the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter took his stand with the eleven other apostles and preached to the crowds that had gathered and in no uncertain terms told them that they were responsible for the death of Jesus and in so doing had insulted God Almighty; “God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). Realising that they were in serious trouble before God they asked Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” (verse 37). These Jews in Jerusalem were different to the man in Philippi; they believed in God, the Scriptures and the prophecies about Jesus Christ, he knew nothing about any of that. The jailer was told he needed to believe, but what do you tell men who are already believers? The apostle Peter told these men who had listened to and believed him to “repent and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
Interestingly, it is the apostle Paul himself who gives us our third example of someone asking, “What shall I do to be saved?” Before he became a Christian, Paul was an unbeliever; “a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor” of Christianity and the church of God (1 Timothy 1:13). It was on one of his ‘business trips’ to the city of Damascus to round up and imprison Christians there that “suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’” Paul (whose Jewish name was Saul) said, “‘Who are you, Lord?’ The Lord said, ‘I am Jesus. I am the One you are trying to hurt.’” (Acts 9:3-5; 22:6-8 & 26:13-15 give parallel accounts of the same events). Paul then asked, “What shall I do, Lord?” (Acts 22:10), and the Lord answered, “rise, and enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do” (Acts 9:6).
Paul had previously believed that Jesus had died and not risen from the dead, now this once dead Jesus was talking to him from heaven, very much alive from the dead. Do your think he believed in Jesus now? He was temporarily blinded and had to be led by the hand to the city to his lodging where “he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank” (Acts 9:9). Fasting may be an indication of his attitude of repentance toward God and his desire to find forgiveness. But the Lord had told him someone in the city would answer his question. That someone was Ananias, a Christian whom Jesus sent to Paul, an already repentant believer. How was Ananias going to answer Paul’s (and our) question? Acts 22:16 states, “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.”  
One other question might help by way of illustration; “How far is it to Dublin?” To a man in Cork, wanting to travel to Dublin the answer is 251 km. But, to repeat our answer ad nauseum to him is not going to be helpful if he is in Cashel and asking the same question. Now the distance to Dublin in 154 km. And if he asks how far it is to Dublin once he reaches Port Laoise, obviously the first two answers are no longer sufficient. So it is with the Biblical question, “What must I do to be saved?”
For the Jailer who knew nothing of Jesus, it was imperative he “believe” the words spoken, repent and be baptised. After doing these things we are told he "rejoiced greatly” (Acts 16:34). 
For those Jews in Jerusalem who believed the word of Peter concerning Jesus, it was imperative they “repent and be baptised for the forgiveness of sins.” “Those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls … And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:41, 47).
For Paul, who believed he met and talked with the risen Christ, then spent three whole days fasting in repentance, he was told to “be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16).
One question, but three answers. But which answer is correct? All three. Just like the man travelling to Dublin, the answer given depends upon where you are. Have you believed in Jesus as your Lord, repented and turned away from your old ways and been baptized in water for the forgiveness of your sins?
When we listen to all that God has to say to us in His word, we can have the assurance that God gives us in that word. “The only people who will enter the kingdom of heaven are those who do the things that my Father in heaven wants” (Matthew 7:21). Are you prepared to do all that God wants in order to go to heaven?