Believe in Jesus and be saved
November 9, 2008 (Sunday)
When asked, “What must I do to be saved?” the Roman soldier at the jail in Philippi was told by Paul, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). This statement is the gospel in its simplest form.
The word, “gospel,” means “good news.” What is this good news?
The gospel is about being saved. Many important matters claim our attention in life. We decide where we live, what we do for a living, whom we marry, and thousands of other vital matters, but what of our soul? There is nothing as important as eternal life. That’s what the jailer wanted to know and that’s what Paul was telling him. “Saved” means saved from eternal death without God. When we are saved through faith in Christ, we have a new life in Him that never ends.
The gospel is about Jesus Christ. The gospel is defined by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 as the good news that Jesus died in our place on the Cross, was buried and on the third day rose from the dead, making salvation possible for everyone. Jesus Christ is not just another great leader of world history; He is a unique person, the eternal Son of God, and the Savior of the world.
The gospel is about believing in Jesus. The jailer’s serious question received an answer in which Jesus Christ is central. “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ!” he is told. The question is simple; the answer is simple. Stripped to its absolute essence, this is a question about eternal life. The answer to this question reflects Jesus’ own announcement about Himself: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life!” (John 14:6).
Jesus said, “”I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24 NIV). Believe in Jesus and be saved. “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12 NIV).