How To Be Forgiven: The Simple Answer

The word "forgiven" is found only 42 times in the entire Bible but as I pointed out in the previous post there are other synonyms used that convey the same idea such as...saved, redeemed, cleansed, pardoned and several others. A classic case of a simple question followed by a simple answer is found in Acts 16 where we read that Paul and Silas had been locked up in jail for preaching the good news and doing the work of God. Late at night the Lord miraculously sets them free and a frantic Philippian jailer who is fearful that he will be put to death for allowing a prison escape on his watch runs up to Paul and Silas and asks the world's most important question.
Here is the passage...

Acts 16:25-34

King James Version (KJV)

 ²⁵And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
 ²⁶And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
 ²⁷And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
 ²⁸But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
 ²⁹Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
 ³⁰And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
 ³¹And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
 ³²And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
 ³³And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
 ³⁴And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

Notice a few things in this account. The jailer asked a simple question "What must I do to be saved?". He received a simple answer "Believe on  the Lord Jesus Christ". This is one of the great passages in all of the Bible and all of literature in describing how to be forgiven...believe on Christ! Notice verse 34 says he was believing and all his house was believing. They were all gloriously saved, forgiven, redeemed, rescued and pardoned because they believed on Christ.

It is simple to believe, but it is not easy. Too often this free grace explanation of how to be forgiven is called "easy believism" but it is not easy and this grace is not cheap. Christ lived a miraculous sinless life, he was crucified, buried and then rose from the dead. It requires a sincere belief and trust in what He did to be sufficient payment for your sins. Believe on Christ today!