“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”-Acts 16:31
(LISTEN TO AUDIO VERSION)
“What must I do to be saved?” This is the question a Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas as captured in Acts 16:30. The question, asked many years ago, is still truly relevant even now.
You may have been struggling with the same question. Well, the simple but truthful answer Paul and Silas gave to the jailer is “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” -Acts 16:31. John 3:16 and Romans 10:9-10 teach us, that what one needs to do to be saved, is to believe in Jesus Christ! This is the good news of the Gospel.
The full story of the salvation of the jailer is captured in Acts 16:11-34. This was during the height of the missionary works of Apostle Paul. Accompanied by Silas, the two disciples were traveling through various cities, preaching the Gospel, and leading many to salvation in Christ Jesus. Often, they faced persecution and sometimes imprisonment.
In Philippi, Paula and Silas got arrested, lynched, and put in jail. A jailer was charged to keep them secure. The story continues that instead of losing hope, Paul and Silas kept vigil, praying, and singing hymns to God. At midnight, a miracle happened; a great earthquake broke open the prison doors, setting the two prisoners free. The jailer, realizing that the prison doors were opened and assuming that the prisoners had fled, prepared to kill himself with his sword, rather than face the wrath of his superiors. Paul and Silas encouraged the jailer not to harm himself. And led the jailer and his household to accept Jesus Christ.
The jailer must have realized something special about the two men. He asked, “What must I do to be saved?”, Acts 16:30. Paul and Silas answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,” Acts 16:31.
Why must I believe in Jesus Christ?
Salvation is Jesus-centered, not self-centered. This is why we cannot save ourselves; we need Jesus. We believe in Jesus Christ because He is the only way to Salvation. He is God’s only plan for eternal life for the whole world – Acts 4:12, John 14:6.
The Bible teaches us in Romans 3:23 that we have all sinned and Romans 6:23 affirms, that the wages of sin is death. It is written in Romans 5:12, that we are all born sinners because the first man created by God sinned. Adam’s sin impacted the whole human race and plunged humanity into spiritual separation from God.
To make peace with man, God sent his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to die for the whole world as captured in John 3:16. The death of Jesus Christ resulted in the forgiveness of sins of the whole world – John 2:2. All that God expects from the world, is acceptance and believe in Jesus Christ as our savior.
Salvation is free. It is what God has done for us not what we do for God. It is a gift presented to the world through the grace of God and it is received by faith (belief) as stated in Ephesians 2:8-9. This good news is seen again in Romans 3:24 which says that we are being justified freely by the grace of God through the redemption in Christ Jesus.
God’s grace saves us but note that it is not His grace alone. If it were so, everybody would be saved because “grace has come to all” according to Titus 2:11. Grace has offered salvation to all, but only those who accept it by faith (believe) are saved. Salvation is by grace through faith alone. Thus all are forgiven, but not all are saved.
Understand that because salvation is not works-based, your good deeds cannot save you as we see in Ephesians 2:9 and 2 Timothy 1:9. What saves us, is believe (absolute trust and confidence in Jesus Christ as the son of God and savior of the world, who died and resurrected.)
Many people are just like Nicodemus mentioned in John Chapter 3. They know and perhaps believe Jesus came from God. They know Jesus as one of the teachers or prophets who ever lived. They know Jesus and probably believe that he did walk on the face of the earth, but they find it hard to accept and believe in Jesus Christ as the son of God and the savior of the world. The Bible says, “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.”-1 John 4:15
If you are reading this, I want you to know that Jesus Christ has paid the full price regarding your salvation. His death on the cross was the one-time sacrifice needed to redeem man from the penalty of sin -Hebrews 10:10. The Bible says Jesus is the propitiation or the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world -1 John 2:2, Isaiah 53:6.
His death and resurrection mark the end of all sacrifices for sin – Hebrews 10:18. All you must do now is to receive that which Jesus has done by faith unto salvation. Trying to add anything to this, is like saying that, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is not enough.
Have you believed in Jesus Christ? “Now is the accepted time; … [today] is the day of salvation.”- 2 Corinthians 6:2.
I recommend you watch our series on “WHAT TO DO TO BE SAVED” by clicking on the links below. And for more of such messages, subscribe to our YouTube channel
WHAT TO DO TO BE SAVED – YouTube
WHAT TO DO TO BE SAVED #2 – YouTube
WHAT TO DO TO BE SAVED #3 – YouTube
WHAT TO DO TO BE SAVED #4 – YouTube
WHAT TO DO TO BE SAVED #5 – YouTube
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