”They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household."
Acts 16:31New International Version (NIV)
Acts 16:31 Devotional (Daily Bible Verse)
Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved
Acts 16:31, which I have themed “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved“, is the record of how Paul and Silas responded to the jailer in Philippi, when he inquired about getting saved. Thus, the duo instructed him to “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and he would be saved, together with his household.”
The Philippian Jailer
Paul and Silas met the Philippian jailer during the former’s second missionary journey (Acts 16:1ff). This was after Paul had separated from Barnabas (Acts 15:36-41), with whom they were called (Acts 13:1-3) and sent on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:4-15:2).
The slave girl
So, one day, when Paul and Silas were going to the place of prayer in Philippi, they were met with a slave girl. The slave girl had a spirit of divination that profited her owners through fortune-telling (Acts 16:16). And for many days after that, the girl followed them while crying out that “they were the servants of the Highest God, who proclaimed the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17).
Paul, therefore, became greatly annoyed and cast out the spirit of divination from the girl in the name of Jesus Christ. It came out of her that very moment (Acts 16:18). Her owners, consequently, seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the marketplace before the rulers (Acts 16:19). They accused the duo of causing a disturbance in the city by advocating customs that were unlawful to the Romans (Acts 16:20-21). And the Philippians joined them in attacking Paul and Silas, and the magistrates tore their garments and ordered that they be beaten (Acts 16:22).
Paul and Silas imprisoned
The magistrates then had Paul and Silas imprisoned and ordered the jailer to keep them up safely (Acts 16:23). The jailer, therefore, locked them up in the inner prison and fastened their feet (Acts 16:24). But at midnight, as Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God, an earthquake struck and shook the prison such that all the doors opened and every prisoner’s bond was unfastened (Acts 16:25-26).
When the jailer woke up and saw that all the prison doors were open, he drew his sword to kill himself because he thought that all the prisoners had escaped (Acts 16:27). But shouted to him to not harm himself because no prisoner had escaped (Acts 16:28).
He, therefore, rushed to the duo, and trembling with fear, bowed before them (Acts 16:29). He then took them out and asked them what he had to do to get saved (Acts 16:30). And Paul and Silas told him that he needed to “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household” (Acts 16:31).
They then spoke God’s word to him and his house (Acts 16:32). And he washed their wounds and they baptized him and his household (Acts 16:33).
The jailer then took them to his house and fed them. He rejoiced that he and his household had believed in God (Acts 16:34).
Prayer/Blessing
Lord God, I humble myself before You and surrender my life to You. And I believe that Jesus Christ was born free of sin, died on the cross as a payment for my own sin, and rose three days later.
I believe in your gift of salvation and eternal life because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Lord God, today I repent and turn from my old way of life. Because of your mercy and grace, I today ask for new life through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thank you, God, for forgiving me and making me brand new. And this is my prayer in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
Esther 8-10 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
