Faith Vindicates Us

Acts 16:23–31

“After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

God vindicates us when we are wronged and we see an amazing example of faith from the Apostles Paul and Silas having been falsely accused and punished, tortured, and imprisoned for it (v. 23). God said: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly. For the LORD will judge His people and have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone and no one remains, slave or free (Deut 32:35-36).” The Apostle Paul quotes this verse from Deuteronomy in his letter to the Romans, saying “Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath (Rom 12:19).” Faith means trust and trusting that God will rescue, protect, comfort, and provide for us in times of our deepest need. Trusting also that God is mighty to save, and that rest is assured: The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing (Zeph 3:17).” And so even in prison, that faith enabled them to sing hymns which prepared the way for the Holy Spirit to prevade in an environment of torment and probably put all the others at ease (v. 25) just like David strumming a tune from his lyre that comforted king Saul (I Sam 16:23) because God sets a table before us, a feast, in the presence of our enemies, He annoints our heads with oil and our cup overflows (Psa 23:5). It is admittedly very difficult to do as St. Paul and St. Silas did, I would think that the earthquake and opened jails are already a free pass from God (v. 26), however they saw someone about to take his own life and decided to err on the side of God’s grace and mercy and because of that, the way to salvation had been paved for an entire household! Surely because of that sacrifice, there had been much rejoicing in heaven (Luke 15:7)!