A study of the word "must" reveals several interesting things about our salvation and our relationship to God. Most of what is revealed is contrary to what most of the religious world teaches about our salvation and our relationship to God. The word "must' is found eighty-eight times in the King James Version of the New Testament. The one "English" word "must" comes from at least seven different Greek words. It will be my purpose in this article to examine some of the facts revealed about the word "must" and our salvation. Before we begin, let us look at the definition of the word must. Thayer: 1) it is necessary, there is need of, it behooves, is right and proper, e) ne­cessity established by the counsel and decree of God, especially by that purpose of his which relates to the salvation of men by the intervention of Christ and which is dis­closed in the Old Testament prophecies. Webster's Collegiate Diet. (10th ed.) 1 a: be commanded or requested to; b. be required by law, custom, or moral conscience to:

"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:30-31) The Philippian jailor understood there was something he must do. He was told by Paul and Silas to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Most of the religious world would stop there, and say that just believing on Christ was all that was necessary. While most of the world says there is absolutely NOTHING man can do to obtain salvation,

the necessity of man believing destroys that teaching. But let us look closer at what follows in Acts 16. In verse thirty-two they spoke unto him the word of the Lord. Faith then comes by the hearing of the word (Rom. 10: 17). There is no example of conversion in Acts were the word was not first taught. There is no example (or teaching) of even one person who received faith by a "better felt than told experience." .

The jailer took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes indicating his repentance. Then all his house were baptized the same hour of the night. Where did he learn about baptism? He learned of the necessity of being baptized just like the eunuch in Acts 8:30-40, by the hearing of the word. Add to these facts when the Jews on Pentecost asked "men and brethren what shall we do", and were told to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins and to save themselves from that untoward generation and it become clear one must be baptized to receive the remission of his sins.

In John 3:1-5, Jesus told Nicodemus for Him to enter the kingdom of God he must be born again. 

The word “must” is found in other parts of man relationship with God outside of the plan of salvation.  John 4:23-24 tells us that for man to worship God acceptably man must worship God in “spirit and in truth.” Which means man must worship God with the right frame of mind and in accordance of the teaching of God’s word.  In 1 Timothy 3 were we are given the qualifications that the men who would serve as elders must have.  In 2 Timothy 2:24-25 we are informed that a servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; . . .”

In Hebrews 9:16 we are told,  “For a testament to be in force there must of necessity be the death of the testator.”  Christ was the testator of the New Testament therefore the Old Testament was in force while Christ lived and the New Testament came into force after the death of Christ.  Thus, today we are under the teaching of the New Testament in serving God.  1 Corinthians 15:25 tells us Christ must reign unto the last enemy, death is destroyed.  1 Corinthians 15:15-58 assures us of the resurrection for in verse 53 we are told “for this corruption must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immorality.”

Why be concerned about the things that must be done according to God’s word to be pleasing to God?  Because we must all give and answer to God? “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” ( 2 Cor. 5:10)