A Simple Salvation Story

Trembling and amazed, the warden asked the imprisoned missionaries this question, “what must I do to be saved?” Their simple reply, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” This brief, but all-important conversation is the apex of an event that took place some 2,000 years ago inside a jail in the ancient city of Philippi (Acts 16:16-34). Paul and Silas, were traveling partners dispatched by a local church under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, who traveled the known world and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As was usual, their message was embraced by many, and despised by others. At the behest of town leaders, who made false accusations against Paul and Silas, this missionary team was arrested by the Romans and without trial, the men were severely beaten and then cast into the deepest darkest part of the prison.

Rather than licking their wounds in silent discontent, or grumbling at their lot in life, the two evangelists considered it an honor to suffer for the cause of Christ and late that night begin to audibly pray and sing praises to God. It was at that moment God shook the jail with a Divinely-ordered earthquake that had the most curious of effects. Instead of the prison walls collapsing or the rock ceiling caving in, strangely the cell doors swung open and the shackles and stocks fell off every prisoner. As if that isn’t miraculous enough, not one single inmate tried to flee! Let me say that again, the irons and restraints fell from the wrists and ankles of every inmate, the prison doors all opened, yet not one single prisoner tried to escape. It is as this point that every person reading this brief synopsis of this event has to make up their own mind whether to believe the Biblical record, or to discount it as mere make-believe. Either you believe God is able to perform such a specific miracle, or you do not. I choose to take God’s Word at face value as both a historical and inspired account of the unique occurrences that took place that night. What about you?

Unable to deny something supernatural had taken place, the Philippian jailor was deeply troubled. Further yet, aware the phenomenon was directly caused by the God proclaimed and worshiped by the Christian evangelists, the warden called for the men to be brought out of the inner prison that he might speak with them. There, convicted by the Holy Spirit for his crimes against God and humanity, the warden falls before Paul and Silas trembling, and asks of them the most important question any human can ever ask; what must I do to be saved?

For the briefest of moments, can I share with you what these men did NOT say in response? They did not compel the jailor to be baptized, nor to join the church, repeat a prayer or attend Mass. None of these things can save the human soul. No one ever has, nor ever will become a Christian by any human effort. Instead, the Bible adamantly declares we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in the finished work of Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Note their simple, but Scriptural reply to his question, “What must I do to be saved?” … they respond, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Believe. It’s just that simple. While it is human nature to insist, we must do something to merit God’s favor, nonetheless, the Bible teaches salvation is all of grace. Or to state this as definitively as possible; spiritual life is not given, nor the new birth accomplished by good works in any form. But an individual is saved by fully and completely trusting in what Jesus Christ has done in their behalf. Trusting in Christ alone (plus nothing) is what God’s Word calls saving or justifying faith. Bible scholars teach that saving faith has three essential components.

First, is knowledge. Or in order to be saved, you must know what Jesus Christ has done in the behalf of sinners. So let me ask, do you know the Gospel? What is the “Good News” of the Kingdom of Christ? Can you accurately declare what Jesus did in order to redeem fallen men? (If not, please read the Gospels)

Secondly, is the idea of assent. That is, in order to be a Christian, you must acknowledge the Biblical account of the Person and Work of Jesus of Nazareth is reliable as given. Do you truly confess that God’s Messiah did what He claimed to do, as recorded in Holy Writ?

As a side note, while these first two elements of saving faith are vital, they alone are not enough to save the soul. James 2:19 teaches that even demons believe there is One God and tremble before Him. While knowledge and assent are crucial components of saving faith, they are not enough to redeem.

Which leads to the third crucial element of saving faith, the idea of trust. Or, belief. Simply stated, in order to be a true follower of Jesus, you must know what Christ has done, you must believe the message God gave of His Son and you must believe that what Christ did, He did for you. Let me emphasize that last part … in order to be saved, you must realize that you are a sinner who stands guilty before a Holy God and that you cannot save yourself. You must believe that Jesus bore your sins in His body and became your substitute, as God poured out His wrath on His Son at Calvary. And finally, that Jesus died and rose again victorious over death, hell and the grave … and that He did all that FOR YOU. Because you cannot save yourself.

Friends, I don’t want to complicate the simple message of salvation by suggesting anyone has to be some kind of Bible scholar or theologian in order to be born-again, no not at all. On the other hand, neither should well-meaning but ill-informed believers mislead souls by making the message of salvation less than what God demands. When Paul and Silas told this Philippian jailor to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he would be saved, they then also unequivocally explained (Acts 16:32) what it means to believe, and exactly what one must believe in order to become a Christian.

Some generic belief in a god, or on some god … or tipping your hat to some big-guy-in-the-sky does not a Christian make. To be born-again, you must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and be right about what you believe about Him. If God can save a hard-hearted, cruel and calloused jailor from Philippi, He can save you.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you too can have a simple salvation story made possible by the Sinless Son of God.

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