WHAT must do to be saved?" This is the greatest question ever on the lips of man. The anxious jailor at Philippi spoke not only for himself but for multitudes of the souls of men the world over. The question is universal. The question is insistent. The question will not down. It is the most important question ever asked. The question demands a specific, satisfying answer. Lost one, your soul is at stake; do not trifle with this most important question.

I. MAN'S NEED

WHAT must I do to be saved?" This is the cry of the soul that sees its need. The man who is honest with his own soul knows that there is nothing in himself to fit him for heaven. He is lost. By nature he is the child of wrath. He is shapen in iniquity, and he is prone to sin. The sin-burden weighs down upon him heavily. Life is incoherent, broken, inharmonious. Man is a debtor with an accumulated bill of Sin, and the sin-debts are going before to judgment. Suppose you average ten offences a day — that is 3,650 offences for a year. Multiply that, amount by ten years — 36,500; or twenty — 146,000. This is a moderate estimate. Any respectable, moral man quadruple these figures, for even the thoughts men's hearts are sins in God's sight. How can you satisfy God with such a bill as that" And more than that, figure the most tremendous sin of all — the constant, day by day rejection of Jesus Christ. The amount of sin is Staggering. The burden is ever increasing. There is a terrible accumulation. There is ho getting away from your sin. It haunts the soul — it is indelibly written in the hook of conscience within. The debt is incalculable. The soul cries out, "What must I do to be saved?"

Add to this burden the fact that judgment is coming. Let this fact be impressed upon your soul. Sin cannot get by God, for God is keeping books, and Hean accurate bookkeeper. You, sinner, rejector of Jesus Christ, are by your own actions writing your record in Go<l's books. Judgment is coming! God will bring every secret thing into judgment (Eccles. 12:14).

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works (Rev. 20:12).

Judgment is coming! The books shall be opened! All the sins of your past life will be reviewed at the judgment bar of God and you will have to face them then. Sin never gets by God. Does not this alarm you? Sin is going before you to judgment. Something must be done to meet the sin-debt. A bona-fide payment must be made. If not, the intolerable burden continues and judgment follows. What can be done. The need is tremendous. "The soul cries out, "What must I do to be saved.?"

II. MAN'S HELPLESSNESS

THIS most important question is the appealing cry of the sinner who has tried every way to satisfy his soul, but, alas, has found himself wretched, helpless and undone. The world with all its attractions has turned into gall and bitterness. The counsels and philosophies of men have proven powerless. "What must I do to be saved?" is the urgent appeal of the soul.

Sincerity fails to save the soul. It is a common opinion even among those who profess Christ to say. It matters not what a man believes, so long as he is sincere he will get to heaven." But God holds us responsible for what we believe as well as for our actions. The Jews were sincere in putting to death the Lord of Glory, but their sincerity did not atone for their act. Again and again God declares that He holds them responsible and that He will bring them into judgment for the murder of His Son (Acts 3-15, 17, I Cor. 2:8). God does not respect the sincerity of men, for while so many arc saying "It matters not what a person believes," the Lord God is saying, "He that believeth not the Son shall not see life" (Jno. 3:36). No, sincerity will not save; it is an empty, hollow device of Satan, and the insistent appeal keeps urging itself upon the soul, "What must I do to be saved?"

Nor have morality and good works met the need of the inquiring soul, though multitudes seek to answer this most important question by setting themselves to work and toil and labour. Every religion that has ever appeared among men is an attempt to answer this question. I go to the Hindu and ask him, "What must I do to be saved?" and he will say, "Crawl a thousand miles on your knees and elbows to the river Ganges." There is an easier answer given by in any people in America; it is "Be good." By that is meant — "Practice the golden rule," "Pay your debts," "Treat your family right" and "Be a good neighbor." But these answers have started more questions than it is possible to settle. Many weary months and years of struggling and trying' prove the utter folly of man's works, for it all comes short of God's righteousness. "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (lsa. 64:6). "From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores" (Isa. 1:6). The law has stopped the mouth. The soul is utterly helpless. Apart from what God can do for us we are wholly unfit for heaven and the all-important question still urges itself upon the soul, "What must I do to be saved?"

III. GOD'S REMEDY

WHAT must I do to be saved?" Man's doing and law-keeping have not answered this question. Philosophy has never answered this question. Infidelity has tried it and made it a mockery. "What must I do to be saved?" This is a live question. The soul must have an answer. There is too much at stake. And though it is very unfashionable nowadays to talk about "salvation," still it is man's need, and the greatest question of his soul.

"What must I do to be saved?" Paul gave God's answer in one compact, definite, thrilling sentence of six words: '"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." Paul told the jailor what to do. If Paul were living, today, I am sure he would state very clearly, a few things not to do, since there arc so many perversions of the gospel.

Lost one, helpless one, utterly ruined by sin, here is God's answer — the one sufficient remedy — "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved!" Believe on the One Whom God hath set forth to be the propitiation for your sins. Believe on the Saviour, •Sin-bearer and Substitute. This is the only way — the solitary way. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; not, change your environment; not, follow your conscience; not, give up your bad habits; not, join the church; hot, come and be baptized; no, not one of these things will do. Christ alone saves! ' Deal with God at the Cross of Christ, where He dealt with your sin, and you will be saved. I bid you look to the Christ of the Cross. Fix your faith upon that Sacrifice. Read your forgiveness there. It is the old, inexhaustible, satisfying message which some of you have heard for a lifetime, but it is the only way. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

IV. GOD'S METHOD

GOD'S method of salvation excludes works. The Philippian jailor asked, "What must I do?" The answer was, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," and that excludes all doing. Man's religion consists of a word of two letters — "DO"; while Christianity is expressed in a word of four letters — "DONE"; and these two words express the whole divergence between man's religion and God's way of salvation. Man's religions insist upon doing and send their adherents to the treadmill of fleshly activity. "DO" means human attainment but "DONE'' spells out DIVINE ATONEMENT. All human works are excluded, and Christ's work on Calvary is exalted. The work of salvation is all done, and God is inviting sinners to rest there. The message from the Cross comes ringing down through the centuries— "IT IS FINISHED!" Christ as our Substitute was judged, and condemned for us. The penalty of sin has been borne in full. God is satisfied with the transaction; the claims of justice have been met; the atoning work is done, and even' controversy between God and the sinner is settled. Sinner, God is resting now in the finished work of His Son, will your rest there too? Which do you choose — your own works or the finished work of the Cross? "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

V. GOD'S MEANS

BELIEVE! "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." Appropriating faith is the means of salvation. "Believe," means to have confidence in and to put trust in Jesus Christ.

There is only one kind of faith. Some say, "I would like to believe, but I haven't the right kind of faith." This is a delusion of Satan. If you have any faith, you may be sure that it is the right kind.

There is a difference between believing about and believing on. You may believe about Christ as an historical person — that is a mental operation and will not save. You may believe all you want to about Christ, but that will never save your soul. This is not faith according to the Scriptural definition. But when by an act of your will you definitely trust Christ as your personal Saviour, you are saved at once.

As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name (Jno. 1:12).

Some scientists over in Scotland offered a boy a handsome sum of money if he would allow himself to be let down by a rope, over a cliff in a precipitous mountain gorge, to get a rare specimen of flower growing down there. The lad longed for the money, for he was poor, but when he looked down into the two-hundred foot chasm he said, "No!" After further persuasion he said; "I'll go if my father will hold on to the rope." That is faith. He had confidence in his father; he believed on his father, and by an act (if the will he allowed his father to fasten the rope about him and let him down.

O sinner! Absolutely trust Christ! Lean full weight upon His saving, atoning work. I bid you again, look to the Cross of Calvary. Fix your faith upon that bleeding Sacrifice. Behold your forgiveness and peace there. Behold your shelter there. Find there your satisfaction. Find there the means of faith's nourishment. Flee from God's wrath against your sins and find shelter under the blood of the Cross. Accept Christ and you will be saved instantly.

To the anxious soul who asks, "What must I do to be saved?"" again we reply with the only satisfying answer, the answer of God's own Word — "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."