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.

33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.

34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.

Observation

They were severely beaten, then they were thrown into the deepest darkest place in the jail and their feet were clamped in stocks and to the amazement of all of the other prisoners Paul and Silas were singing and praising God and all of the other prisoners were listening!

Then there was a great earthquake and all the prison doors flew open and the chains on all of the prisoners fell off, but nobody tried to escape. In comes the jailer and was about to kill himself with his sword thinking that all of the prisoners had escaped, but the Apostle Paul tells him that they are all still there.

Then the jailer comes and falls down trembling before Paul and Silas and says, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”Paul's answer to the jailer in the middle of all of that chaos is still the answer that you and I desperately need to hear and heed today - “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.”

Paul and Silas with their praying, singing and praising God at midnight brought down the jail, but the earthquake was never intended to set them free. It happened to get the jailer's attention and set the jailer and his family free from sin and eternal damnation.

I do also think that the other inmates realized that the earthquake was something that God did because none of them tried to escape.

Application

God wants everyone to be saved. He will go to extreme measures to see that the lost have the opportunity to hear about Jesus and be saved. Yes, even if it means that His children suffer, like Paul and Silas did, so that others have the opportunity to be saved.  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, give me Your heart for those who do not yet know You. Paul and Silas knew just what the jailer and his family needed. Help me to be sensitive to the needs of others like they were.

I pray for any person reading this blog today. Open his or her eyes, Lord, so they can see spiritually. Guide them. Direct them. Help them with every detail of their life. Show them just how powerful You are. Show them that they can trust You just like the jailer did!

Daily Bible Reading: Job 11,12; Acts 15,16

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