The Ohio Independent Baptist, April 2002

Th~ <>hi.<> Ira.<I~p~ The Newsletter Promoting Interdependence Among The Ohio Association ofRegular Baptist Churches Vol. 75 No. 2 jai ler once a k ed the que. tion , ' What ,nu t I do to be aved? A per on can a k no more important questi on than thi . That' becau e the que ti on deaJ with ultimates - no t peripheral s. The que tion carrie u beyond the temporary to the etern al , beyond the earthly to the heavenl y. I t reminds us that we have a rea l need, that we have a ro le to play in meeting that need, and that we can know a real hope. Wouldn ' t it be great if ever yone reading the e words had already w re tied wi th thi s que ti on and had answered it in a bibli call y inforrned way ?! But just in case some haven' t, Jet ' explore thi s key question in the nex t few lines. Tune in to thi ~ desperate jai ler' s \lory in chapter J 6 of Act~: But at rnidnight Paul ancl ,';i/a.s ,i·ere JJra;,,ing and singing hJ 1 11111\ to God, and the JJri.,oners· i1 ere listening to the,11 .)ull,len!J there \Vas a great earthquake, .~o that the /oundati<JIIS of the JJri\011 Here shaken; a11{/ 1111111e<liatel, all the lloor, \\ ere 011e11e<l a11d e, er\ one\ chain,, H'ere loo,ecl. Anll the keeJJe1 of the JJri\011, au t1k111g /10111 \lee,, anll ,ee,ng the /Jr1,011 c/001, OJJen. \ll/J/J0.\111~ the JJ11, vner, l1Cul /l eel, lire 11 /11, , H or<! anti u a., ahout lo /..1/l /11111,el/ !Jut /Jaul calle<I \\ 11!, a 1011<! , oi< e. ._,a, IIIJ.!. "/)o "' '"' ,elf no lu111J1 , /01 u l' <II e all he1 e · lhe11 he£ ltllell }<Jr u /1gh1, ran 111 anti /e/l ,lou II 1re111bli111!, /1e/01 <'/'au/an,/ .\1/u, II(/ h<- h, uu.~ht th<'III u111 an<I '""'· ",\'ir , "ha! 11111,1 I ,lu to he \(I\ e,I/ " Yes, he reall y wa quite de. perate, wasn' t he? A. far a. he wa concerned he was h istor y. Suicide ·ee1ned to be his best way o f e cape. Y ou 'ee, if the pri . oners under hi charge had escaped, hi. own I i fe w ou ld be taken. Eternity loon1ed large in hi th ink ing, and he wasn ' t ready for thal. One of tho. e prisoners under hi s charge prevented hin1 f r o1n j u,nping to the w rong conclusi on and thu · comn1itting : ui c idc. " D o yoursel r no har,n, for we are al I here! ' ' Ren1arkab le! The earthquake that Since all of us sin, we all need to be saved from sin. And since death is the inevitable consequence of our sin, we need to be saved now– before death overtakes us. rclca~cc.J all the pri~oner:-. fron1 their ce ll-., ,.va\ i,nprc\~i, c enough. l: , en 1norc i111prC",\ i\c the lac l 1hat no one 1110,cd! I t obv1c>u\ l) had ,on1e1 h1ng to do \vi lh thc,c l wo pr1~oncrs \\ ho \Vere \ i ng. 1ng al n1idn1ghl. And -.,o he con1e, to Paul and Stla..., v. 11h lhi , 1110\ t ba \ tC quc, 11 011 , "S ir...,, v. hat ,nu ..., t I do to be -.,avcd '! .. ~t'ho eeds to be .\'t1vetl '! In ht , tin1c ol dc...,pcr.. ll1on lhL' J'hil1pp1lu1 ja tl c1 ackno\\ ledge, ht, pc1,l>rld l th.'L'd ln1 s t1 I \ all on . l · a ch u 11 c o I u-., t nu -., t L' u 111 L' tu the \d lllC \L'll\C ol ll L·L'd \ \, L' llCL' d to h L' \tl\Cd ( IC\lllt'd) lt Olll Oll l \Ill I h.ll ,111g.ing pt 1,onL't , Paul, put 1l th,..,\\") April 2002 ave ? • ··For al I have ~inned and co,ne short of the gl ory of God' ' ( Ron1ans 3: 1 3). He e1nphasizcs the con.-cquenccs or our sinning when he w riles...The v\'ages or sin is death" (Ron1an 6:23 ). jnce all or us sin.\ call need to be saved rron1 !-.i n. nd !-.i ncc dealh i :-- the ine i tab lc con!-.cqucncc or our \in, \\ c need to be \avcd noH· - before death overt ake~ U!-.. All sinners arc candidate\ for sal, at ion. Because o f the \\ or~ of lhe LorcJ Jesus hrist a ll ~inner-; arc sa, able . '1J'l1at A-lust I do to be .')a• 1 ed? nlice lhc an~,,cr Paul and . il.1, ga, c to Lhc de\pcratc ,nan. ··Belie, con the L..ord Je~u" ( "hri .... t and )OU \\ill be ...a,c<l. anJ \lHtr . . hou~~.. ( 1--\ ct!-. 16:J I). To hL·lie, c n1can:-. to lran-.,fcr) our lru .... t I ron1 ynur...L' l r and) our error(\ .ind to place your lilt\! in hri"l t\llOlhL'r \\ a\ Uf \a\ 11\£ lhL' '>:ltllt' . . ... thing i\ (() Ct\\( )lHlr\L'lr \\ llhUU( rL'\L'r, L' on ( ~hrt "t. H L• lt t'\ 111~ dt,L'" .. i n , o I, L' n l t) 1\~ l h, t n " 1 n 1 p I~ ackno\\ lcdg1n!!. ~OlllL' fdL' t"' ,tbnut l ' hn .... 1. ll .. .... lllL'tl ll \ L"Oll llllllltll~ \ lHlr"L'lf Ill I ) till ,tltltlt' ... a, Sn\ iou r r1 O lll , 111 V j \ ll a 11101 ll L' 11 l ll l ll r l' \ \ ll h l h, ll ", l 11 l t ' ,i,1g111~ apo... ilt' In l{u111.1n" -i he n1.1~t'" 11 Cl") 'II.ti L lt.'d l th.ti \,ti\ ,ll llHl d\lt''- IHll l lllllt' h\ Olli l)\\ ll ~lh)d d L't'd', ( 4. I X l llUI lh )l''> . .. 'lal,alllllt cn1llt' h\ tulltll111~ ll'lt ~t\Ht" . ~ . t.•t'1 t•1nu111l'" t -l ·tJ I ) ). 1101 dt h.'" 11 l l Hlll h) kL't'pin~ 1 t·lt~1uu" 1 t1IL'" ( k I ' 221. \,ti\ ,llinn tll llll'" h, l.111h .dunl' 111 l lt1, .... 1 .ii t Hl l' t -I 1 ' 2 ..., 1