It must be the greatest question ever asked in the history of the world, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Who was it that asked this question? Was it a drowning man? Was it a prisoner in a dark, cold prison cell? Was it a poor man with no hope of the future? The answer is, “No.” And the answer is, “Yes.”
The Holy Bible tells us the story in Acts 16:19-34. The great preachers Paul and Silas were preaching boldly that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. A young woman possessed by demons followed after them crying out and disturbing the people. Finally, Paul turned to her and rebuked the demons and cast them out. Instantly she was free from satanic control! But wicked men had prostituted the young woman in magic and evil witchcraft. Once she was free, they saw that they had lost their source of income and they were angry. They complained to the authorities and they beat Paul and Silas with rods and cast them into prison.
At midnight, Paul and Silas sang praises unto God. God sent an earthquake and broke their chains and set them free! The Jailor awakened and came running and was ready to kill himself because he feared all the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out in a loud voice, “Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.”
The man came trembling and fell before them asking, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” He recognized that God had worked a miracle that night freeing the prisoners from their cells but none of them tried to escape! The poor man’s life as a jailor was spared.
This man was truly to be pitied. He controlled the prison, but chains of sin bound his soul. He was asleep in his bed, but his heart found no rest from all the wrong things he had done. The jailor thought he had everything he could want in life, but that night he understood that he lacked the most important thing: Eternal salvation and forgiveness from sins! He was drowning in His own sins and he couldn’t help himself.
You are like that jailor today. Regardless of what position you find yourself in life, you know your world is dark and hopeless. You fear tomorrow and you are afraid of death. Even when you have money in your pocket, you know your soul is doomed because money can never buy peace with God!
Let me help you today by answering that dear man’s question, “What must I do to be saved?” Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, came into the world to save sinners like you and me. He lived a holy, sinless life and He did good everywhere He went. He came to die on the cross in order to pay the horrible price for our sins. We were enemies with God and we were doomed by our own sins. But Jesus willingly died in your place, in my place! He took the pain, agony and misery of a cruel death so that you and I could be forgiven from our sins.
Paul told the jailor, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” You must do the same. You must believe that He is truly God’s Son, that He died in your place, and that He was raised from the dead in power and glory! Confess your sins only to Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9) and “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9. That very night the jailor went home to his family as a new man! His life had been changed and theirs was too. Your life can change forever as well if you will do as he did. Pray today and confess your sins. Believe on Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation and you can be saved! Then begin to read God’s Holy Bible and find a church that teaches and believes in the power of salvation and the Holy Spirit.
