ACTS: Doing God's Will May Costs Us Something, but God Will Make it Worth It!

Having received such a charge, he put them [Paul and Silas] into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. (Acts 16:24)

In the previous lesson, we studied And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:9-10; see ACTS: Be Generous towards Other Believers, but be Careful of Deceivers)  While in Macedonia, Paul had cast a spirit of divination out of a slave girl, who was earning her master a lot of money through fortune-telling.  Because of this, Paul and Silas were thrown into prison.  

Now, the Lord had called them to preach the gospel to Macedonia, so being thrown into prison must have been part of God's plan. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. (Isaiah 55:8) But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” (Acts 16:25-28)

Well, God always has the final say!  Just as He did when Peter and some other apostles were in prison,  ...an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out,... (Acts 5:19; see ACTS: Holy Spirit Empowers the Church, and Man Can't Stop God's Plans) In Roman law, a guard who allows his prisoner to escape can suffer the same penalty as the prisoner would have suffered.  See how merciful God is, none of the prisoners left, not even the one's who weren't with Paul and Silas, probably because they were in shock from what they had just witnessed. Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken.  Say to God, “How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You." (Psalm 66:3)

Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. (Acts 16:29-34)

The message is simple and clear, that even a child can understand and believe: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,...”  Nothing more, nothing less!  Jesus is All we need; "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)  In Paul's vision, A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”  And that's exactly what Paul and Silas did, even though they were ...beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison,... (Acts 16:22-23) Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. (John 15:13)

And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.” So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.” But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.” (Acts 16:35-37)

The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion. (Proverbs 28:1)  These magistrates humiliated Paul and Silas openly without any cause, now Paul was not going to allow them to just get rid of them quietly without admitting to their mistake.  Sometimes, we are to just let things go, because they just aren't important enough to pursue.  But other times, we have to take a stand and be vocal, because it is right and the right thing to do.  Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me... (Psalm 143:10)

Paul also makes the comment that they are Romans.  We will study more about that in a future lesson. (Acts 22) But for now, suffice it to say that the magistrates now know they had made an even bigger mistake by treating a "fellow Roman citizen" in that way.  And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city. So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed. (Acts 16:38-40)

The Lord God has said, “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.” (I Chronicles 16:22; Psalm 105:15)  Although we will be touched and persecuted, maybe even thrown in to prison or killed, as Christ Jesus told the disciples, "Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!" (Matthew 18:7)  “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. (Romans 12:19; Deuteronomy 32:35; Hebrews 10:30) AMEN!