Rich Maffeo on Nostr: When the authorities threw Paul and Silas into a Philippian jail because they were ...
When the authorities threw Paul and Silas into a Philippian jail because they were preaching the gospel, Luke (the one who wrote the Book of Acts) tells us they were singing praise to God around midnight – their feet still in stocks.
Luke continues (Acts 16): “And suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27 When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” 29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
“What must I do to be saved?”
Christian – if someone asks you that question today, how would you respond? Do you think salvation is all about following Church rules? Is it about doing enough good deeds to outweigh your bad ones? Does salvation depend simply on an intellectual agreement with the gospel message?
Or does Paul’s response to the jailer: ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus’ go much deeper than simple assent to the message? Does Paul’s response go far beyond simple obedience to Church rules, or stacking up as many good deeds as we can in life?
What would YOU say to someone who asks of you that eternally important question: "What must I do to be saved?”
How would you answer? And most important, could you support that answer with Scripture?
Luke continues (Acts 16): “And suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27 When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” 29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
“What must I do to be saved?”
Christian – if someone asks you that question today, how would you respond? Do you think salvation is all about following Church rules? Is it about doing enough good deeds to outweigh your bad ones? Does salvation depend simply on an intellectual agreement with the gospel message?
Or does Paul’s response to the jailer: ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus’ go much deeper than simple assent to the message? Does Paul’s response go far beyond simple obedience to Church rules, or stacking up as many good deeds as we can in life?
What would YOU say to someone who asks of you that eternally important question: "What must I do to be saved?”
How would you answer? And most important, could you support that answer with Scripture?