Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

Leviticus 10; Leviticus 11; Leviticus 12; Acts 16
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Scripture

Acts 16

22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"
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." 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 family 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 family.

Observation

I love this passage don’t you? Paul and Silas had just been severely flogged and thrown into the darkest most secure part of the prison. It was midnight and we find Paul and Silas having a worship service to a captive audience. The jailer must have heard them singing and praying and knew that there was something different about these guys.

The prisoners also must have sensed the presence of God that night in the prison because when the earthquake opened up all the doors to the prison and the prisoners could have escaped they stayed in their unlocked cells. I would have liked to have been there when the jailer came rushing into the cell of Paul and Silas and fell down trembling at their feet.

The jailer knew that he was good as dead. He knew that he was a wicked man and Paul and Silas had done nothing to be so mistreated. He knew that the God that had the power to rescue Paul and Silas surely had the power to destroy his life. So trembling the jailer came and fell at their feet begging for his life, “What must I do to be saved?”

I don’t know what he thought their answer would be to his question, but we know that he embraced their response. The scriptures say that they said to him, “"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." The jailer took them out of the jail to his house and everyone in his house heard the word of God explained to them. The jailer washed their wounds and fed them. The jailer and his entire family were then baptized. And then Paul and Silas were taken back to the jail. I bet they got the best room in the place when they got back and I bet their jail cell was not even locked.

Why did Paul and Silas have to go through getting severely beaten and thrown into a prison that night? I know one of the reasons don’t you? The jailer and his family and all those prisoners needed to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. Think about this, the earthquake and the jail cell doors all swinging open and everyone’s chains falling off was not so the prisoners could escape, but to show the jailer that chains and prison doors couldn’t hold men of God. And it was just as incredible that Paul somehow knew that the open doors and broken chains were not done for him or Silas to escape. Amazing!

Application

I will look for God’s hand at work in my life and realize that circumstances are not always what they appear to be. Open prison doors and broken chains seemed to logically indicate that God was rescuing Paul and Silas but that was not case.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me to look to you and not to my circumstances. I love this story about Paul and Silas and the jailer. It shows me your awesome power and your extreme love for all people. You save the most unlikely people Lord. Help me to see people like you see them. I don’t want to miss an experience like Paul and Silas had in that jail cell. Help me to be completely obedient to you no matter what my circumstances are. You are an Awesome God. I pray that you guide me and direct my thoughts, my attitudes, and my actions. Amen.

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