The beloved physician Luke shared how Paul and Silas were beaten for delivering a “damsel” from an “evil spirit” that caused her to divine for her “masters” who now were without their profits. Afterward Paul and Silas were cast “into the inner prison” and the jailer “made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do yourself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”, and in chapter sixteen and verse thirty-one of the book of Acts Luke shared how Paul and Silas answered the jailer, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved” where we read:
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your house.
The verse begins, “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, ...” Luke began with the words, “and they said” which means “and Paul and Silas uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “believe” or “trust in, rely upon, cling to and have confidence” “on the Lord” which means “within the One to whom a person or thing belongs about which he has power of deciding; master, and the title given to God the Messiah” “Jesus” whose name means “Jehovah is Salvation and is the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate” “Christ” which refers to “the anointed One who is the Messiah and Son of God”. Luke shared how “Paul and Silas” told the “jailer” that he needed to “trust in, rely upon and cling to” God's anointed Messiah and Son “Jesus”.
The verse continues, “... and you shall be saved, and your house.” Luke added the words, “and you shall be saved” or “and you, “jailer”, will be kept safe and sound, rescued and delivered from danger, destruction and the penalties of the Messianic judgment, “and your house” which means “and your, the jailer's, household, family and descendants”. Luke shared if the “jailer” would “trust in and rely upon” the “Lord Jesus Christ”, he and his “household” would be “saved” from the danger and judgment to come.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we discover the answer “Paul and Silas” gave to the “jailer's” question about what he must do to be saved. The only requirement given was to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ”, and the result would be that he and his household would be “saved”. God wants to “save” people from the “death” that is caused by sin, and when a person submits themselves to His Son Jesus, they will be forgiven of their sins and granted everlasting life with God. Everyone is invited to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ”, and those who are wise seek to be “saved” like this “jailer” from Philippi so they may live with God forever and ever.
Next time Luke shares how Paul and Silas shared “the word of the Lord” with the jailer, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
No comments:
Post a Comment