ENGAGE DON’T ESCAPESample

Paul and Silas in Prison

"The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household." - Acts 16: 34

In Acts 16: 22-34, Paul and Silas– after being flogged severely– were thrown into prison. While in prison, they prayed and sang hymns, and by what can only be a supernatural move of God, the prison doors flung open and the chains on all the prisoners came loose! The jailer in charge woke up and sought to kill himself because he thought all the prisoners had escaped. Paul, recognizing this as a chance to teach the message of reconciliation, did not escape but stopped him from killing himself. This led to the jailer and his household believing in God.

Although Paul and Silas were imprisoned and chained physically, they enjoyed freedom in Christ and recognized the true prisoner to be the jailer who was not reconciled with God. Paul and Silas forfeited their chance to escape and made God’s foremost agenda of salvation their priority.

Paul refers to this incident in Philippians 1: 12-14 – “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.”

The advancement of the gospel was forefront in spite of his own circumstances.

Regardless of how dire situations may appear, God gives every believer the capacity to deliver the message of reconciliation. Grace will not put a demand on us for which we are not empowered to deliver. If God has given us a charge, He also makes it possible for us to carry it out.

The life of a believer is in itself a form of ministry, and every part of it should express this. Let our hearts always be alert to people’s need for God. We have received the love of God vertically so that we may dispense of it horizontally. Just like Paul and Silas, this should always be at the forefront of our minds.