Tag Archives: philippian jailer

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Greg Laurie – Saved!

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Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

—Romans 5:9

The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

The answer Paul and Silas gave him is very important: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved . . .” (Acts 16:31).

What does that mean? The word “believe” does not merely mean intellectual assent, acknowledging there is a God, or even that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. To believe, in a biblical sense, is much more than that, because the Bible says that “even the demons believe—and tremble!” (James 2:19). Demons acknowledge the existence of God, but they don’t trust in Him.

To believe means to hold on to, to cling to. It also means to let go of. So in the Bible, belief speaks of both letting go of one thing and taking hold of another. We let go of our sin and take hold of Christ, and Christ alone, to save us. It is not Christ—plus good works that we do—that saves us. Rather, it is just Christ.

I read an article about the pastor of a megachurch who said that he doesn’t believe pastors should use the word “saved” anymore in their preaching because people don’t understand it. But I think “saved” is a great word, and I will keep using it because it is in the Bible.

I also think “saved” is a fairly self-explanatory term. When someone gets caught in a riptide and a lifeguard pulls him out, we say the lifeguard saved him. And “saved” is the perfect word to use when we talk about conversion, because before we put our trust in Christ, we were headed to eternal judgment.

So when we say that we are saved, that is the perfect word.

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The Joy of Recollection – John MacArthur

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“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you” (Phil. 1:3).

Though Paul was under house arrest in Rome when he wrote to the Philippians, his mind wasn’t bound. Often he reflected on his experiences with the Philippian Christians. As he did, his thoughts turned to prayers of praise and thanksgiving for all that the Lord had done through them.

I’m sure Paul remembered when he preached in Philippi and God opened Lydia’s heart to believe the gospel (Acts 16:13-14). Subsequently everyone in her household was saved (v. 15). Surely her kindness and hospitality were bright spots in an otherwise stormy stay at Philippi.

He must also have remembered the demon-possessed girl whom the Lord delivered from spiritual bondage (v. 18), and the Philippian jailer, who threw Paul and Silas into prison after they had been beaten severely (vv. 23-24). Perhaps the girl became part of the Philippian church–the text doesn’t say. We do know that the jailer and his whole household were saved, after which they showed kindness to Paul and Silas by tending to their wounds and feeding them (vv. 30-34).

The many financial gifts that the Philippians sent to Paul were also fond memories for him because they were given out of love and concern. That was true of their present gift as well, which was delivered by Epaphroditus and went far beyond Paul’s need (Phil. 4:18).

Paul’s gratitude illustrates that Christian joy is enhanced by your ability to recall the goodness of others. A corollary is your ability to forgive shortcomings and unkindnesses. That goes against the grain of our “don’t get mad–get even” society but is perfectly consistent with the compassion and forgiveness God has shown you. Therefore be quick to forgive evil and slow to forget good.

Suggestions for Prayer:  Take time to reflect on some people who have shown kindness to you and encouraged you in your Christian walk. Thank God for them. If possible, call them or drop them a note of thanks. Assure them of your prayers, as Paul assured the Philippians.

If you harbor ill-will toward someone, resolve it quickly and begin to uphold that person in prayer.

For Further Study:  Read Matthew 5:23-26; 18:21-35. What were our Lord’s instructions regarding forgiveness and reconciliation?