Daily Devotional Monday 11th May 2020
by William Moody
Acts 16:30–34
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.
(ESV)
Here we have the most important question that can ever be asked (v30). Paul’s answer was not about what the jailer needed to do but about what he had to believe (v31). In people pride causes people to think they have to do certain things to be saved.
Salvation is not about action but about faith, trusting in Jesus and what He has done through His finished work on the cross. The believing mentioned here includes trusting, resting on and embracing Christ as Saviour and Lord.
The wonderful thing for the jailer is that his faith would make a big difference not just to himself but to his family also (v31b, Gen. 17v7; Acts 2v38-39; 1 Cor. 7v14). God makes wonderful promises about believers’’ families.
The jailer and his family were baptised, they were filled with joy at coming to trust in Christ (v33-34). Baptism is the outward sign of the inward cleansing the Spirit had done.
They also showed love and kindness to Paul and Silas. God moving in grace transformed the whole situation for the jailer and for Paul and Silas.
In situations of difficulty we need to be looking for the transformation that can happen when grace changes people’s lives.
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