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07.06.08 Salvation
Acts 16:25-34 ESV (925) About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here."
29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31 And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
The backdrop of our text this morning is a Roman jail into which Paul and Silas had been thrown because they’d cast a demon from a slave girl who made lots of money for her masters through fortune telling (see vss.16-21).
As a quick side note… why did Paul want the slave girl to quit telling the truth about what he and Silas were doing?
A week from next Saturday I’ve been asked to share my cancer story at the annual Relay for Life event at the high school.
Someone once said: When our lives are intricately connected to God’s ways and will, we can be assured we will have a significance transcending this life and into the life to come.
But, look with me at verse 14 of our text:
Acts 16:14 ESV One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
As you’ve heard me share other times, before I was first diagnosed I deliberately prayed God would do whatever it took in my life, even if it meant my death, so others would come to know Him.
Esther 4:14 NIV (412) For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"
~~~~~~~~ Getting back to the background of our original text… I believe Paul wanted to cast the demon from the slave girl because, although she was speaking the truth about he and Silas having the message of salvation from the Most High God, still she was a medium that was primarily connected to the demonic realm, not the Kingdom of God.
… although [the slave girl’s message was true, the medium was all wrong; If I had the chance to give my testimony in Playboy magazine, would I do it? … no, because I don’t need nor want this ministry to be advertised by that which is contrary to the message of Jesus Christ. Jon Courson's Application Commentary (741) ~~~~~~~~ In verse 30 of our text the jailer asked, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
There will be a highway called the Holy Road. No one rude or rebellious is permitted on this road. It's for GOD's people exclusively-- impossible to get lost on this road. Not even fools can get lost on it.
Matthew 11:25 NLT (816) Then Jesus prayed this prayer: "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise and clever, and for revealing it to the childlike.
Our God does not put a premium on ignorance…nor a penalty on intelligence. But He does indeed stress the simplicity of salvation! God wants people to be saved!SC ~ The Simplicity of Salvation and Assurance
2 Peter 3:9 ESV The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise [of coming back] as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. ~~~~~~~~ Back to the jailer’s question: What must I do to be saved?
The Greek word (sodzo) for saved literally means: deliver or protect: - heal, preserve, be (make) whole.
Romans 10:13 ESV “…everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Matthew 1:20-21 ESV … an angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph] in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
To be saved is to be saved from sin! People don’t like the word, sin; it’s offensive. So, as a society we now call what used to be known as sin by other politically correct terms:
That’s how many people approach sin today; they think they can just define it for themselves, never mind what God says about it.
That’s the bad news.
When people get saved it’s from at least two things: 1. The Penalty of sin.
Romans 6:23 ESV For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Romans Paul also equates sin with a term known as body of death. Romans 7:24 ESV Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
In ancient Rome they killed criminals in various gruesome ways: crucifixion, thrown to wild animals, or another way:
When people are saved they’re also saved from… 2. The Pollution of sin.
The Bible says sin shall no longer have dominion over you; there’s no sin you cannot gain victory over by the power of Jesus.
~~~~~~~~ Salvation is in Jesus Christ, alone.
What was the difference? Before he believed in airplanes, now he believed on the airplane.
The difficult part was done by Jesus, coming all the way from heaven, millions of miles if you will. But, He stopped short; just 1 step away, the step of our faith, to come to Jesus:
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