“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

What was your first thought when you read the title of this article? This is the question the jailer rushed to ask Paul and Silas as we read in Acts 16. If we go back in the story, Paul and Silas had been thrown in jail by the local rulers because Paul, in the name of Jesus Christ, had commanded the spirit of a demon-possessed girl to come out. The masters of this girl were very upset about this because she was making them a lot of money by foretelling events for people. With no real evidence, they captured Paul and Silas and brought them in front of the local rulers where they were beaten, shackled by their feet, and thrown into the inner part of the prison which likely had no windows.

How would you react if this happened to you? How will you react if this happens to you in the coming years? Christian persecution is already starting in the Western world. We know how Paul and Silas reacted. Verse 25b says that “Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.” They were confident in the Lord that He would take care of them, and they did not shy away from people hearing that. It is interesting how the Bible adds that the other prisoners heard them. It is a lesson for us never to be ashamed to pray or sing in public.

We now come to the part of the story where this article started. Paul and Silas were singing, and in verses 26-30 we read: “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 thyself 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?”

That is amazing! The jailer must have been listening to the songs and prayers of Paul and Silas and also wanted to know that peace and joy. What must I do? How would you answer this question?

Read what Paul and Silas say in verse 31: “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Yes, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. If I did not know about this story, I think I would not have guessed they would say that. We can learn from this. Maybe you would have said, “Read your Bible and pray that the Lord will work in your heart one day,” but Paul and Silas go right after the heart, although they did not leave it there. The following verse says, “And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.” In other words, they explained the Bible to them and, likely, what “Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ” meant.

What does that mean for us today as unconverted persons? The key word here is “believe.” Follow me here—in the original Greek this word is “pisteuó.” That word comes from the word “pístis” which means “faith” and that came from the word “peíthō,” which means to “persuade” or “be persuaded,” to “affirm” or “have confidence in.”

True believing in the Lord Jesus is not simply a decision of the mind like your decision to buy a car. Believing in Jesus is interpersonal; it is part of your very being. For example, young people, when a person falls in love with a girl or a boy for who they are and not for what they have, it is not something changeable. When a person feels love, desire, and affection for a girlfriend or boyfriend , he cannot change those feelings. He can pretend to not like or like a person, but the feelings deep inside are not something he can control.

The same is true for biblically believing in Christ. If you only want to believe so that you can have what the Lord offers, like keeping you from going to hell or attaining more peace, you do not actually believe. If you are found by Him and believe in Christ for who He is as a Saviour for your sins, then you love Him as a person. That is a true faith with confidence, and now you can know you are born again. John 3:16b says, “whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The proof of this believing is shown in the fruits of the Spirit. You will start to hate sin, and you will start to love the Bible. This does not, by any means, mean that you will no longer sin as we read from Paul in Romans 7:15a: “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not.” The key is that the desire of the heart has changed.

Now let me be very clear—not believing in Christ is not a neutral activity. As people we are doing one of two things; we have either received Christ by grace or we are actively rejecting Christ. No matter how serious we are, if we have not believed in Christ and are unconverted, we are actively rejecting Him, and that is very serious. We read in 1 Corinthians 16:22, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.” Anathema means “cursed” or “destined for destruction.” Not loving Christ is not needing Him and, rather, despising Him. Being cursed is a fitting and deserved punishment for those who will not follow Christ, and there will be no exceptions. If there is anything that Christ despises, it is to be unloved.

Are you seriously minded and religious? Do you love the law but not the Saviour? Do you love the good traditions and the sound doctrine? That is good to hear! However, we read: Let him be cursed who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ. To the non-Christian, or more commonly said, unconverted friend, do you know why the apostle spoke such harsh words? It is to warn you, to shock you. The Lord is pleased to let you hear about the curse so that you may receive a blessing. I pray it causes you to repent from your sins, flee to Christ, and believe in Him as your only hope.

What is the lesson if you are a true Christian and have, by God’s grace, believed? Let us refer to the story of the jailer. Acts 16:33&34 says: “And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.”

A key word here is “rejoiced.” Do you know of true sorrow and of this humble joy? Have you ever rejoiced this way? When was the last time you rejoiced in the fact that Christ gave himself on the cross to take God’s wrath for a wicked one like you? People of God, Christians, rejoice in His free grace. Speak highly of the Saviour in prayer but also to your family and friends; tell of the joy you have or have had in Him. If you have been neglecting this, acknowledge your sin to God and admit that you left your first love.

Seek to know more of the Lord Jesus Christ. In particular, seek deeper insight into His passion and death. He experienced hellish agonies to save sinners with no love for Him, to save enemies of God. He gave His blood and died on the cursed tree. The last word in 1 Corinthians 16:22 is Maranatha which means “Come, Lord.” The apostle reminds us of His second coming and shows how urgent this matter is. The Judge is coming! Thy Kingdom come! That kingdom will come and what love there will be from God and for God.

“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

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