Questions from the Bible, Part Four: ‘What must I do to be saved?’
Of the four Bible questions we’re considering in this short series, perhaps none came with more urgency than the Roman jailer’s.
“What must I do to be saved?” he asked, and his first thought was not spiritual matters. The law stipulated that a jailer allowing a prisoner to escape would receive the prisoner’s punishment. This man was not concerned about the next life but saving his neck in this one.
Paul rushed to assure him that he and Silas weren’t going anywhere, even though an earthquake had opened the prison door. The jailer could still have his prisoners in the morning. But Paul took the opportunity to point the man to God and gave an answer that spoke to eternity, not just a crisis in a first-century prison.
Evidently the jailer was so amazed by the apostle’s behavior he wanted to understand why they hadn’t run for their lives. “They spoke the word of the Lord” to him, and he immediately proclaimed his newfound faith by submitting to Christian baptism.
Many sermons have been preached from this passage, but most have not concentrated on the character of Paul and Silas shown by their response to this crisis.
First, notice what they were doing before the earthquake. They were singing hymns! “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content,” Paul would later write to Christians in Philippi, the city where this incident happened. “In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” We know his claim was true because we see him living it out with Silas here.
Second, think about their decision after the earthquake. They didn’t run away! Some might have seen the open door as God’s invitation to escape. Instead, they used it as an opportunity to serve the person standing before them.
Third, consider the way they used a physical calamity for spiritual good. The jailer’s panic presented a teachable moment, and Paul and Silas were keen to seize it by delivering a message from God.
Their example presents possibilities for every caregiver. What would happen if we gave our energy to praising God even though we felt trapped by our terrible circumstance? What would happen if we thought first about the problems and needs of others instead of our panic to escape our pain? What would happen if we were always ready to see how God could use our situation to show his truth to the confused person closest to us?
By offering salvation to someone else, we might discover how to save ourselves.
Read: Acts 16:25-40
Pray: Help us, Lord, to see the need in the lives of those nearby and to look up from our own distress long enough to show them the path to their greatest possible peace.
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