Sirs, What Must I Do To Be Saved?

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Sirs,
What Must I Do
To Be Saved?

Scripture

Acts 16

²² A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. ²³ They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. ²⁴ So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.

²⁵ Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. ²⁶ Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! ²⁷ The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. ²⁸ But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

²⁹ The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ Then he 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, along with everyone in your household.” ³² And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household.

Observation

This is a fascinating story! It shows just how extreme God’s plan can be for a family to come to know His Son Jesus Christ.

It took Paul and Silas being severely beaten with rods and being thrown into the deepest, darkest part of the dungeon with their feet clamped in stocks.

At midnight Paul and Silas were singing and praising God with all of the other prisoners wide awake listening when all of a sudden there was a massive earthquake that shook the foundation of the jail and all of the prison doors were opened and all the chains on every prisoner fell off! All the prisoners were now free, but not one of them tried to escape!

This whole story focuses on the most unlikely person that you would think that God would want to save – “the jailer” and his family!

Salvation of the jailer and his family came at an extremely high price for Paul and Silas. They were severely beaten and humiliated by being thrown deep into a dungeon. All of this bad stuff happened to them so that a desperate jailer could cry out these words to them, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

You and I may experience hardship and suffering. It may come through sickness, an accident, a crisis, or even persecution. Any of these bad events may land us right in the middle of someone else’s life. Face to face with someone that desperately needs to know how they can be saved.  And you and I get to share with them about Jesus! The Divine appointment would have never happened if we had not gone through the painful experience. Would God allow us to suffer so that someone else could find out about Jesus? Oh yes, He would!

The earthquake in this story was not intended to set Paul and Silas free. Nor was it to set any of the other prisoners free that were inside of the jail. Oh no, this powerful earthquake was sent for one purpose! It was sent to set a jailer and his family free from their sins!

Maybe you are going through a difficult time, a time of crisis. In the middle of the bad situation look around and look for Divine appointments with people that God may be sending into your path.

“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.”

Salvation that night first started with the jailer, then his family heard the Good News about Jesus and they too believed and they were all baptized.

Maybe salvation needs to start with you?

Application

I will look around for Divine appointments coming my way. How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I know that you never waste a hurt. There is not anything that we go through no matter how bad it is that You will not turn around for our good if we love You. So many things in our lives are bad but Your promise in Your Word is that You will turn them around for our good

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. . Romans 8:28

Give me the heart and attitude of Paul and Silas. Help me to sing and praise You when I am going through rough times. Help me to look for and not miss the Divine appointments that you have planned for me just like Paul and Silas had late that night with the jailer and his family.

   

Daily Bible Reading:  Leviticus 10,11,12; Acts 16



Today’s "Life Journal" Daily Bible Reading can be found on Line. Click Here!