In the story of the conversion of the Phillipian jailer, we see him ask the question “what must I do to be saved?” This is a very important question but even more important than that is the answer.

Well what is the answer in light of scripture? Paul and Silas told the jailer “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved—you and your household.”(Acts 16:31)

But what exactly does it mean to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?” Does it mean just to believe like it seems to say? It is true that “by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”(Eph 2:8,9) It is also true that the Bible says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder.”(James 2:19)

Simply believing in God is just not enough. Millions believe in God, and even more profess to know Jesus, but they are really destined to an eternity in the lake of fire. They will hear Jesus say to them, “depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”(Matt. 25:41)

We must do more than simply believe. To truly believe in Jesus means placing our faith in Him and committing our lives to Him. Jesus said, “If any man would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”(Mat 16:24) He also said, “you are my friends if you do what I command you.”(John 15:14) Finally in the book of Romans we read that God wants us to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”(Romans 12:1) It is the least we can do, in view of his mercy.

Give your heart and your life to Jesus right now – make Him your Lord and Saviour and thank Him for dying on the cross for your sins. Ask him to change your heart and make you a “new creature in Him." When you do that, then you will have “believed on the Lord Jesus Christ” as the Phillipian jailer did.