Acts 16:31-35: a reflection

When the jailer asks how to be saved, the answer is simple and full: believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved; and having believed, the jailer and his household are filled with joy. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household, they tell him. That very night he believed, was baptized with all his household, set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God. The way of salvation set before the jailer was not a long list of works to perform, but faith: believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. And when he believed, the result was joy: he rejoiced greatly, he and all his household, having come to believe in God. This shows salvation through believing in the Lord Jesus, and the joy that follows. Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. Salvation comes through faith in Christ, not a long list of works. Believing in Christ brings deep joy. Come to Christ in faith, and know the joy of salvation.

Notice the simplicity of the answer and the joy that followed. The jailer, in distress, asks what he must do to be saved. The answer is not a long and burdensome list of works to perform, achievements to attain, or a hard road to walk before he can be accepted. It is simple and full: believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. Salvation is offered through faith in Christ, freely, to him and his household. And when he believed, the result was joy: that very night, he washed the wounds of those who had brought him the message, was baptized with his household, set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God. This is the gospel in miniature, and its fruit. Salvation is not something we must earn by a long list of works, but something we receive by believing in the Lord Jesus; it is offered freely to all who will trust him. And to believe in Christ is not a grim duty but the entrance to deep joy: the jailer, once in distress, rejoiced greatly, his whole household glad, having come to faith in God. When we come to Christ in faith, we too find not a burden but salvation, and the joy that comes with it. We do well to believe in the Lord Jesus, receiving the salvation offered freely through faith, and to know the joy that follows believing. Believe in the Lord Jesus, and receive the salvation offered freely through faith. Salvation is received by faith, not earned by a long list of works. Believing in Christ brings not a burden but deep joy. Come to Christ in faith, and know the joy of salvation.

That is worth taking to heart, for salvation comes through believing in the Lord Jesus, freely offered, and brings deep joy, as the jailer believed and rejoiced greatly. We can imagine salvation must be earned by a long list of works; but the jailer was told simply to believe in the Lord Jesus, and having believed, he rejoiced greatly with all his household. Believe, and rejoice. Do not imagine you must earn salvation by a long list of works; believe in the Lord Jesus, receive the salvation offered freely, and know the joy that follows. Believe in the Lord Jesus and receive the salvation offered freely through faith, knowing the deep joy that follows believing, as when the jailer asked how to be saved the answer was simple and full, to believe in the Lord Jesus and be saved, and having believed the jailer and his household were filled with joy, since that very night he believed, was baptized with all his household, set food before them, and rejoiced greatly having believed in God; for the way of salvation set before him was not a long list of works to perform but faith, believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, and when he believed the result was joy, which is the gospel in miniature and its fruit, since salvation is not something we must earn by a long list of works but something we receive by believing in the Lord Jesus, offered freely to all who will trust him, and to believe in Christ is not a grim duty but the entrance to deep joy, the jailer once in distress rejoicing greatly and his whole household glad, so that when we come to Christ in faith we too find not a burden but salvation and the joy that comes with it, and we do well to believe in the Lord Jesus, receiving the salvation offered freely through faith.