In the scriptures, there are numerous accounts of a time when the disciples of Jesus had to give an account (or testimony) for their belief in the good news gospel of Jesus Christ. Two accounts quickly come to mind. The first is Stephen, a table servant chosen as one of the seven in Acts 6. The second is apostle Paul (who as Saul was an overseer to Stephen's stoning) in Acts 22. It is the latter account that I would like to focus on this day.
Paul, a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia has beseeched his accusers and asked for them to suffer him to speak unto the people. He did so, speaking unto them in the Hebrew tongue, even though he had dual citizenship as a Roman. Remember that Saul/Paul was very well educated and noted later in the scriptures as the Pharisee of Pharisees. The reason for Saul becoming Paul, and an apostle of Jesus (rather than a notorious accuser and slayer of the brethren) comes as a consequence of Jesus stopping him in his tracks on the road to Damascus. Paul recounts some of his testimony in the account that follows.
Paul begins speaking in the Hebrew tongue. "Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense [which I make] now unto you. I am verily a man [which am] a Jew, born in Tarsus, [a city] in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, [and taught] according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, as also the high priest bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished." (Acts 22:1-5)
I often joke that Saul, even in his days as Paul after his conversion would never pass the security check in most churches today, and yet his testimony has made life changing experiences within the souls of many to this day. But I digress.
Paul continues to tell how it came to pass (as he was making his journey to Damascus to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem -- to be punished) when suddenly around noon, shone from heaven a great light round about him. "And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying unto me, "Saul, Saul, why persecute thou Me?" And I answered, "Who art Thou, Lord?" And He said unto me, "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom Thou persecutes." (Acts 22:6-8)
Those who were with him could testify of the light because they were afraid but they heard not the voice of Him that spake because Jesus spoke directly to Paul's heart. And we see that in Paul, when he asked Jesus, "What shall I do, Lord?" And the Lord said unto him, "Arise, and go into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do." (Acts 22:9-10)
Paul remained blinded from that light until one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, and having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there came unto him and said, "Brother Saul, receive thy sight." And that same hour, Paul states, I looked up upon him. Ananias said to Paul, "The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou should know His will and see that Just One and should hear the voice of His mouth ... for thou shalt be His witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard."
In Paul's heart, the conversion had already taken place. He knew already who the Lord was that stopped him promptly on the road to Damascus. He also did not object to doing what the Lord told him to do. But that was not sufficient. Paul had to be water baptized.
Thus, Ananias asks Paul, "And now why tarriest thou? arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the Name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16)
Again, did Paul question what he was to do next? No. Ananias said he had to be baptized to wash away his sins, calling on the Name of the Lord and this is what Paul did. For purposes of clarity, who was the Name of the Lord? "I am Jesus of Nazareth. (Acts 22:8) Therefore, when Paul was water baptized, he called on the Name of Jesus.
The question then is this. Why does the modern day religious culture teach that it is okay to be water baptized in the titles -- Father, Son, Holy Spirit? Because these have not received the revelation that Paul did enroute to Damascus. These did not understand (as Peter standing with the eleven) on the day of Pentecost, when Peter, in response to the question "What shall we do?" said, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38)
Therein, also, the first 3,000 souls recognized that this same Jesus whom had been crucified was both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36)
That Jesus was God manifest in the flesh. (I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 42:13)
That Jesus was the Word that was with God and was God was made flesh. (John 1:1-18)
That after the kindness and love of God our Saviour are we able to find redemption. (Titus 3:4-7)
This is why every single example of water baptism in the scriptures is performed in the Name of Jesus. This is why true repentance should be followed by water baptism. "Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore, we are buried with Him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:3-4)
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit, by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which sometime were disobedient when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
The like figure where unto [even] baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him. For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for He that had suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of [his] time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God ..." (I Peter 3:18-I Peter 4:2)
And it came to pass, that when Paul was come again unto Jerusalem, even while he prayed in the temple, Jesus said to him, "Make haste and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning Me." (Acts 22:18)
Paul said, "Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on Thee, and when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him." And Jesus said unto Paul, "Depart, for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles." (Acts 22:18-21)
Note the reaction of those listening. "And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices saying, "Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live." In fact, the crowd was so mad that they cast off their clothes and threw dust into the air as they cried out for Paul's death.
Was it Paul that angered them, or this same Jesus whom they had crucified that made them so angry? I am sure Paul sharing about the Lord Jesus speaking to Him after Jesus was crucified did not help either. You see, the point I am trying to make here is that each and every one of us is given a choice. We can either choose life, or choose death. There is no middle ground.
"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou may love the LORD thy God, [and] that thou may obey His voice, and that thou may cleave unto Him: for He [is] thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou may dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
Jesus said, "The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly." (John 10:10)
Therefore, we can either accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, and be water baptized in His precious Name, being clothed in His righteousness, or we can reject Jesus and be one of the crowd, crying out that anyone who testifies or believes in Jesus by faith is not fit to live -- as was the case here.
The good news is that even to the very end, Jesus is still inviting us to Come. He wants our heart to respond to His call for our life.
Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. To him that overcomes, will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." (Revelation 3:20-22)
Like Saul, heed His call for your life today. Respond to His love and kindness wherein God became our Saviour, repenting and being water baptized in His Name -- the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then you too shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, whereby Jesus grants those who overcome an invitation to sit with Him in His throne -- and to be set down with the Father in His throne." (Revelation 3:22)
As for Paul, his testimony continues into Acts 23, and beyond. Most certainly, a worthy read for anyone who wants to understand how Paul elaborated about Jesus everywhere he went. What did Jesus say?
"I am Jesus whom thou persecute. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen; and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee, delivering thee from the people, and the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee -- to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me." (Acts 26:14-18)
You who believe are sent as well. Stand in the offering plate.
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