“He Arose And Was Baptized” (Acts 9:1-20)

“And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately there fell from his eyes like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized” (vs17-18).

Paul was obedient, as you and I are, when we are called by Jesus Christ. There is no salvation without surrender, and when Christ saves sinners, He always gives them bended knees and makes them willing (Ps 110:3).

1. You and I never need to compromise the gospel, because salvation is of God. He doesn't save people who bargain with Him, but He brings us to His terms, so that we desire to be saved, even if it means following Him and suffering. He said, “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake” (vs15-16). We are sinners in need of mercy, blind spiritually in NEED of sight, and when He forgives the sins, He also gives the power to walk uprightly. Thus, Saul was baptized and went about his Master's business.

Baptism doesn't save, but it is the expression of faith, the mark of obedience. Saul was killing and binding Christians, doing what he could to stop the cause of Christ, and now, he is going to live and die for Christ, laying down everything for His name. Grace makes this change. Christ said, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel”, and he surely will.

God's election is NEVER thwarted, as if He chose us to do something, but somehow, it will fail in the end. Impossible. The God who saves, who chooses people for tasks, is the same One who makes sure that His purpose is fulfilled. Paul said, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry” (1 Tim 1:12). Saul was a hateful Christian killer, held in suspicion by the faithful, but by the power of Christ, he is called to service, drops his rebellion, and becomes the greatest Christian preacher and writer in history. He is the trophy of grace. He says, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life” (1 Tim 1:15-16). And, it is GRACE that Paul praises for the change - grace that took him from darkness to light, from the devil to the Son of God, and from hell-bound and hell-worthy to saved, forgiven, and blessed.

This grace produces GRATITUDE, rather than pride, as we know what we were and what we have become is entirely because of God. He continues, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Tim 1:17). Others were there when Saul heard from Christ, but ONLY Saul was the chosen vessel (Acts 9:7). 

2. You see also that Jesus used another man's faithfulness to save His servant Saul, who'd become Paul (Acts 9:10-11). We read, “Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Here I am, Lord. So the Lord said to him, Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight”. He used Ananias, that faithful man, to tell Saul the message, because God uses our obedience to make others obey. He uses the Church to save the Church called.  

Let us be obedient to the Heavenly Teacher, even when things appear to be impossible, even when the souls that we're sent to are dead in their sins, hostile, and from the human vantage point “un-saveable”! It isn't so! Any man can be saved, as evidenced by Saul. No one that you're praying for or sent to will ever be harder to reach than Saul, but God saved him, the chief of sinners, to show us that His power to save, and His pity is limitless (1 Tim 1:16)! Bless His name! There is hope for your prayer list, hope for the people you speak to, and if you're lost and blind, then there is hope for you. Saul didn't want to be saved, until God made him willing. We read, “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven” (vs1-3). 

If you want to be saved, then never think that you're beyond the reach of mercy. Paul the Apostle is an example of God's patience and forgiveness. Saul's change to Paul proves that grace can reach the lowest, elevate us to praise God, and give Him glory in the end.

3. Do not be ashamed to arise and be baptized, surrendering all. Do not look at the past and say, “Mercy is too good to be true”, or, “I can't obey in the future”, but look to the call of God, look to Christ as able, and seeing Him as your Savior, the One whom God raised from the dead for your salvation's accomplishment, confess Him as such, trusting Him to make you able to endure what will come.

Yes, salvation has many troubles. Saul was promised that he'd preach in front of kings, but he didn't know it would be in chains, as he preached for his life (Acts 22). Christ, however, kept him and made him able to do all that He promised, and He will do the same for you. He will take you from death and darkness to life and light, and He'll give you the salvation that's promised, which you didn't earn, which He chose for you.