Today’s devotion comes from Acts 16:27-34.
“When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.” Acts 16:27-34.
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The jailer was not saved, nor proud of himself, for any wisdom or any alleged free-will choice of Christ. “When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.” Verse 27.
If not for Paul’s intervention, the jailer would have killed himself. “But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” Verse 28.
The jailer was trembling with fear and did not know what to do. “And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Verse 29.
The response to the jailer’s question was not just an answer to the jailer’s question with only a hope that the jailer would use his wisdom and alleged free-will choice of Christ. It was a sovereign act and command of God through Paul and Silas: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
And yet, other doctrine uses today’s Scripture as “a poster child” of its teaching that salvation is dependent on man’s wisdom and alleged free-will choice of Christ.
But, Reformed Doctrine understands that salvation is dependent on God’s choice. God saves only those whom God chooses to save and that God provides all that the elect need to be saved including faith.
In summary, God opened the hard earth (earthquake), and God opened the harder jailer’s heart to believe. Remember in this very chapter, we read about Lydia and how “the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” Acts 16:14.
It is not necessary for Scripture to expressly state every time that with everyone who receives preaching and teaching and who believes that God opened their heart.
“When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” Acts 13:48.
If God can turn a king’s heart “wherever He wishes”, then God can turn a jailer’s heart and everyone else’s heart whom He wants to save.
“The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD;
He turns it wherever He wishes.” Proverbs 21:1.
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