The Way of Salvation
The True Human Community
October 22, 2023
Rev. Tim Sharpe
In Acts 16 Paul casts out a demon-possessed slave girl in Jesus' name, showing that true salvation comes when Christ—who takes our place—frees captives, a work that can bring opposition and cost but is worth enduring for God's glory and the salvation of others.
Summary
This sermon on Acts 16 (the Philippi story) focuses on the slave girl with a spirit of divination whom Paul rebukes and from whom the demon departs in the name of Jesus, illustrating that salvation is not mere correct knowledge but Christ's freeing work—He takes our place and liberates captives; that liberation can provoke worldly opposition (the owners' lost profit and Paul's imprisonment), yet believers are called to endure hardship for the sake of God's glory and the hope that many more will come to the true way of salvation.
Key Points
- Context: Acts 16, second of three Philippi stories; preacher thanks elders and deacons
- A demon-possessed slave girl with a spirit of divination appears in the narrative
- Someone can speak true things without receiving saving, liberating truth
- Paul commands the demon to leave in the name of Jesus—Jesus, not Paul, frees her
- The girl's owners lose their source of profit and press charges; Paul is imprisoned
- Theological point: Christ truly took our place in life and death, and God sets captives free by taking their place
- Freedom often has a cost; believers may suffer, but God's glory and others' salvation make it worth enduring
- Application: value people, prioritize God’s glory, and live courageously so more might come to salvation
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