After Paul and Silas were arrested at Philippi, a great miracle took place.  As they were praying and singing hymns to God, an earthquake hit that shook the foundation of the prison floor (Acts 16:25-26).  As a result, the doors to the cells were opened and everyone’s bonds were loosed, telling us that this was God at work.

When the jailer, who had negligently fallen asleep, woke up, he discovered the open doors and immediately concluded that the prisoners had escaped while he slept.  Knowing that the penalty for allowing prisoners to escape was death, he thought it would be better to take his own life.  He drew his sword to end his life, but then he heard the voice of Paul saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here” (Acts 16:28).  This led to the jailer asking the most important question that could ever be asked.

Acts 16:30 (ESV)
³⁰  Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

We are not told specifically what led the jailer to inquire about salvation.  Maybe he had heard the message of the servant girl who had a spirit of divination, that is, “These men are servants of the Most High God.” (ver. 17); or, maybe, he had listened to the singing and praying of Paul and Silas before he fell off to sleep.  One way or the other, he was convinced that Paul and Silas could help him with the salvation of his soul.

In answering his question, they told him that he must, “Believe in the Lord Jesus…” (ver. 31).  Since he did not know much, if anything at all, about Jesus, they had to preach the gospel to him (ver. 32), and he responded by being baptized into Christ, along with his entire family (ver. 33).

What does one have to do to be saved?  The first step is realizing that one needs saving.  The Philippian jailer never would have been saved if he did not come to realize that he was lost and needed to do something about it.  Such is the case with everyone.  This is why the first step a person must take to be saved is hearing the gospel.  On the day of Pentecost, it was the hearing of the Word that led to three thousand souls having their hearts cut, leading them to ask the question, “Brothers, what shall we do.”  Writing to the saints at Rome, Paul asked, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard?” (Romans 10:14).

Hearing the Word is not enough.  Those on the day of Pentecost “gladly received the word,” acknowledging that they needed saving.  Many people today remain lost simply because they do not realize they need saving.

After realizing that one needs saving, he then has to learn the solution to his problem, that is, what is involved in being saved.  The first step here is believing in Jesus.  That was the first thing Paul and Silas told the jailer to do (ver. 31).  Jesus said, “…unless you believe that I am He you will die in your sins” (John 8:24).

Believing in Jesus is not all that one must do to be saved.  After hearing the gospel preached, the jailer not only believed in Jesus, but the same hour he was baptized (ver. 33).  So, to be saved, one must act upon his newly found faith in Christ by being baptized.  This is in harmony with the words of Jesus Himself.

Mark 16:16 (ESV)
¹⁶  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

So, to be saved, you must first recognize that you need saving, accept Jesus as the Son of God, and respond by being baptized.  That is not only what the Philippian jailor did, it is what took place in every significant example of conversion in the book of Acts (Acts 2:36-41; 8:1-12, 26-38; 9:1-18; 10:34-48).

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.