What Must I Do to be Saved?
Acts 16:26-32 (NIV) 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved —you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.
Believe and you will be saved. Was there ever a sweeter promise? In the midst of physical pain, Paul and Silas found a way to have a prayer meeting and share the pathway to salvation with nonbelievers. And the jailer, just seconds before taking his own life, found instead eternal life.
We know that we are each under the bondage of original sin until we accept the redemption paid for by Jesus. At first glance, it might appear that Paul is promising the jailer that his personal salvation would be extended to everyone living under his roof. But read further. Verse 32 says, “Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.” The gospel was shared with the jailer AND everyone in his house.
Just as we are not responsible for anyone’s sin but our own, we can not effectuate another’s salvation. When we hear the revelation of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, when we know, believe and understand that Jesus was the lamb for sinners slain, then we are reconciled to God the Father. Will a person’s salvation spread through their household? Certainly a life changed by Jesus will be noticed by others, but it is incumbent upon each of us to stand before the judgment.
May the lives we live be a testament to the faith we have in Christ, and may our willingness to love and forgive be an example to all.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Finishing the Work in Me
Philippians 1:3-6 (NIV) 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians, known as the Epistle of Joy, encourages believers to have a joyous optimism, if not in their current circumstances at least in our final outcome.
There are two stories I have shared before but would like to mention again. First, when a grade school friend brought a book of the meaning of names to class, I discovered the name “Carol” means “Song of Joy.” Well, my 10 year old self marched home and announced Mama should never reprimand me for singing at the dinner table again since she is the one who gave me a name that means I should and could sing with joy. Mama replied, “I don’t care what your name means, you’re not going to sing at the table.”
The second story occurred in my late teens when I first read about the fruit of the spirit in Galatians. When I saw the fruits Christians should bear I was dismayed, thinking there was no way I could be a Christ follower because these fruits were not evident in my life. But then I saw the word “joy” and I knew that if I could not exhibit any other fruit I had joy!
Did you realize Paul wrote this letter while he was imprisoned? Paul not only preached that Christians should have joy in good times and bad, but he also modeled that very behavior. My scripture card reads, “being confident of this, Carol, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
May we take joy in knowing that we are not yet fully molded into the people God has designed us to be, but we have the blessed assurance that He will not leave us an unfinished mess.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Honoring God
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
In this scripture, Paul addresses sexual immorality within the church. The Greco/Roman practice saw no harm in sleeping with prostitutes, but Paul warns against sexual sins because they destroy the body, which is the temple of God.
My Scripture card reads, “you are not your own, Carol; you were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body.” The reminder that God paid the ultimate price for us reflects the seriousness with which God regards any sin within the church. There should be a sanctity within the church of those things that can bring God glory versus those things that shame God.
May we seek after and find the life affirming power found in bringing honor to God through all we do and all we are.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
God’s Protection
Isaiah 43:1-2 (NIV) Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
I am continuing to go through my personalized Scripture cards, and I am beginning today’s devotional by looking at the NIV translation of Isaiah 43:1-2.
This is, again, one of my favorite scriptures. Isaiah reminds the Hebrews that God redeemed them, bought them back from slavery, and He will be there in the fire, and in the flood; whatever the danger, they are not alone.
When I look at my personalized scripture, it reads, “When you pass through the waters, Carol, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, Carol, you will not be burned. The flames will not set you ablaze.”
We will not always escape life’s difficulties, but we can know, understand, and believe that God is with us whatever the circumstance. How can we be assured that God is always with us? We have His Word that is absolutely filled with His promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us. And, we have the experience of God working in our lives.
May we live with His Word as a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path as we navigate the pitfalls of life. And, may we remember with thankfulness the occasions when we were struck with illness, or perhaps lack of finances, or some other personal tragedy, but God was there.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Matthew 5:1-12 (NKJV) The Beatitudes
(Luke 6:20–26)
1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The cornerstone of the message of the Beatitudes is that the key to happiness and fulfillment is not the pursuit of happiness, but instead, the pursuit of holiness and righteousness. The message is as foreign today as it was then.
Because the Sermon on the Mount was addressed to Jesus’ disciples, we know that this is not the message Jesus used to bring unbelievers to Him. These were lessons taught to believers, to give them markers along their pathway to be used in daily living. While these are some of the simplest verses in the Bible, they are also some of the most important and quite possibly some of the most misunderstood. The theme is righteousness, and the lessons here are not laws of conduct, but rather rules of character.
What the Pharisees believed…
Righteousness was external
Righteousness came from obeying rules and regulations
Righteousness could be measured by praying, giving, fasting, etc.
The Pharisees were religious to attain the approval of man
What Jesus taught…
Righteousness is internal
Righteousness comes not from what we do, but from who Jesus is
Righteousness is not measured by our conduct, but rather produces in us a Christ-like character from which righteous conduct flows
A righteous attitude pleases God, but is most certainly noticed by man
BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT
51Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them, saying:
3”Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
A number of years ago, I called Larry at work because my car had broken down on the side of the road. Larry immediately began throwing questions at me. “Is it the starter?”
“No.”
“Is it the battery?”
“No. I think it’s a little more basic than that.”
“What do you think it is, then?”
“I think I’m out of gas.”
You see, my gasoline gauge was broken, so I had to be careful to keep enough gasoline in the tank to avoid any problems. But this time, I had let my tank become bankrupt—there were no reserves from which to draw.
Too often in today’s world, we are spiritually bankrupt and don’t know it, because our spiritual gauge isn’t working. We are faithful in church attendance and honestly believe that is all that is required of us. We accept Jesus as our Savior, thus ensuring our eternal life, but we never take that next step—allowing Him to be our Lord.
Moreover, many people today are morally bankrupt because they’ve lost the compass that points them in the right direction. Instead of seeking good and avoiding evil, they have settled for right and wrong. The Bible never speaks in terms of right and wrong because they are subjective measurements. The Bible deals with good and evil because they never change.
May we be diligent to check our spiritual tank and if we are nearing empty, let us go before God and ask Him to fill us to overflowing.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Seeking Holiness 