Act 10:34-35 says: “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”

In modern English, Acts 10:34-35 says: “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Truly I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that carefully respects God and lives right has been given salvation by God.”

So, the shortest message needed for salvation is: “…he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”

In modern English, the shortest message needed for salvation is: “…he that carefully respects God and lives right has been given salvation by God.”

But how can careful respect for God and right living be enough for salvation? First, careful respect for God is an act of right living and, thus, is included in right living; therefore, the question is really, simply, “How can right living be enough for salvation?”

Titus 1:16 says, in part, “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him….” The denial of God is the rejection of God and, since the Lord Jesus Christ is God, the rejection of God is the rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, since evil works (wrong living) constitute (are) the rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ, good works (right living) are the acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, when the Scripture says in Acts 10:35 “worketh righteousness (lives right)” it includes in its meaning “accepts the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Finally, the Bible teaches that people who are saved through the shortest message will learn about the Lord Jesus Christ. This, of course, is what happened to right-living people who lived before the Lord Jesus Christ was born. These people did not know the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and, since the history of the Lord Jesus Christ had not yet occurred, these people had no knowledge of the history of the Lord Jesus Christ.