January 24, 2023 – Tuesday
Acts 16:29-31 NIV
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Comments
The above verses begin a fascinating conclusion to Paul’s and Silas’ arrest, beating, flogging, and jailing via stocks and chains. All because Paul commanded a demon to leave a female slave who had been able to tell the future making money for her owners. But she had followed Paul and those with him for days shouting, These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.
When Paul had heard this one time too many, he in verse 18 said, In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her! At that moment the spirit left her. Realizing they would make no more money off the formerly possessed slave, her owners had Paul and Silas arrested whereupon they received the afore mentioned beating, flogging, and jailing. The jailer had been commanded to guard them with great care to see that they did not escape.
After all of this we are surprised to find Paul and Silas praying and singing hymns to God! Then there was an earthquake and the chains fell off, the stocks opened up, and the doors flew open. The earthquake awakened the jailer and when he saw the doors open, he thought Paul and Silas had escaped and prepared to kill himself as it was a death sentence to permit prisoners to escape. It was at that moment Paul called out in verse 28, Don’t harm yourself! We are all here! This all happened in the Roman colony of Philippi where Paul had presented the gospel of Jesus and many were saved with the promise of eternal life.
Upon hearing they had not escaped, 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” By their actions he had been saved from certain death if they had escaped. Now he wanted a greater salvation as he knew they had preached. So, he asked, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
I think he must have been astonished at their reply, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household. Not only he would receive the promised salvation, but his whole household would, if he would Believe in the Lord Jesus. Believe what? What they had been preaching, that Jesus died for their sins and rose on the third day, later ascending into heaven. Or as verses 32-34 tells it, 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. The jailer and his whole household came to believe.
Paul never deviated from this for as he said in Romans 1:16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. And then more explicitly in Romans 10:9, If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Bottom Line: Believe the gospel and especially believe in your heart so that you may have eternal salvation.
Prayer: Almighty God, Thank You for providing a way to salvation if we would give up our pride and ego, and believe Your Son died for us. Thank You. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek