What Must I Do to Be Lost?

Much has been written about what one must do to be saved, and rightly so. The Bible is clear on this matter: one must hear the Gospel (Rom. 10:17), believe in Christ (John 8:24), repent of sins (Acts 17:30), confess Christ (Rom. 10:9-10), and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). But have you ever considered what one must do to be lost?

The answer may surprise you: nothing. To be lost, one need do absolutely nothing at all. This is because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). We are all born with the capacity to sin, and when we reach the age of accountability, we all eventually do sin. Once we have sinned, we are lost and in need of salvation.

Consider an illustration. If a man falls overboard from a ship into the sea, what must he do to drown? Nothing. He need only do nothing, and the water will claim him. To be saved, however, he must take action—he must grab the life preserver thrown to him, or swim to safety, or call for help. Doing nothing guarantees his destruction.

So it is with our souls. The person who does nothing about his spiritual condition is already lost and will remain lost. He does not need to commit some terrible crime or live a wicked life to be condemned. He need only neglect his soul’s salvation. As the Hebrew writer asked, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” (Heb. 2:3).

This is why the doctrine of procrastination is so dangerous. Many people intend to obey the Gospel someday, but they keep putting it off. They are not opposed to becoming Christians; they simply have not gotten around to it. But while they delay, they remain in their sins, lost and without hope. Satan does not need to convince us to reject Christ outright; he need only convince us to wait.

Felix is a tragic example of this. When Paul reasoned with him about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you” (Acts 24:25). As far as we know, that convenient time never came. Felix was lost—not because he actively rejected the truth, but because he delayed his obedience.

If you have not yet obeyed the Gospel, do not make the mistake of Felix. Do not assume you will have another opportunity. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). Do not do nothing, for doing nothing is the surest path to being lost. Take action today to secure the salvation of your soul.