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Let’s remember the objective for our study:
The Spirit of God using the word of God to make people of God and changing the people of God into Spirit-empowered, effective, edifying, disciples of Jesus Christ.
That is our objective. Do you sense the Spirit of God using the word of God to save you (if you aren’t already saved from your sins)? Do you sense the Spirit of God using the word of God to empower you? Are you becoming more effective in things the Spirit directs you to do? Are you being edified? Are you a disciple or learner of Jesus Christ? Are you growing in your faith? I hope you can answer “Yes,” to all those questions as we continue in our study of the Spirit of Acts.
The Spirit Acts to Save a Soul
In Acts 1, people began to pray and seek the Lord for the Promise of the Father. This Promise is for the power to witness and serve the Lord (Acts 1:8). In Acts 2, the Spirit comes upon the seeking Christians, Peter stands up, preaches the gospel in his newfound power of the Spirit, and three thousand are saved (Acts 2). In Acts 3 and Acts 4, we see a powerful healing miracle and Jesus preached. The result? The church grows further to around five thousand (Acts 4:4).
In Acts 5, the disciples are persecuted and beaten but praise the Lord to be counted worthy by God to suffer for Him (Acts 5:40-41). In the power of the Spirit, they are unstoppable (Acts 5:42). In Acts 6, the word was spreading and disciples multiplying (Acts 6:7). In Acts 7, Stephen is the first martyr and a man of great faith, though only in a table-serving ministry. He performed signs and wonders and gave his life to proclaim Jesus to the enemies of the gospel (Acts 7).
In Acts 8, we saw how the Spirit works even in and through persecution. We saw how the power of the Holy Spirit is vastly superior to the profane occult power of Simon the sorcerer. And finally, we saw how the Spirit arranges divine appointments to bring seekers to Jesus for saving.
In Acts 8, we saw the extent to which the Spirit will go to save a soul. And we saw that salvation is a matter of believing in Jesus (according to Scripture, like Isaiah 53) with all your heart (Acts 8:32-37). The person who is genuinely saved does not come to Jesus with an eye toward holding back or with loopholes in mind. They come believing in Jesus with ALL their heart, holding nothing back.
In Acts 9, we will see that even the hardest-hearted enemies of Jesus can be won to Him. This should be very encouraging for us. As Jesus said, what is impossible with men is possible with God (Luke 18:27). If you’ve been praying for a loved one, and they still seem far away and resistant to believing in Jesus, keep praying. God has a way of knocking the haughty off their high horse. Jesus has a way of humbling the hard-hearted, so they turn to Him with all their heart. In Acts 9 we see Saul, the same character, initiating the persecution of the church at the beginning of Acts 8. Saul, at this point, is dead set against the church and Jesus. But Jesus has other plans for this hate-filled persecutor. Praise the Lord for that!
The Spirit Shows Us Saul: A Very Committed Sincere and Unsaved Religious Person
The picture of Saul here is one who has a kind of vendetta against the followers of Jesus and is stomping his way from house to house searching them out, mumbling hate-filled words under his breath, who when he finds them, binds them in an effort to bring them to Jerusalem. And all of this was done with the approval of the high priest, who gave him letters of authorization to do so. If you recall in an earlier study (see Acts 4), we pointed out that religious people often resort to persecution when confronted and convicted by the reality of the Spirit.
Remember, Paul had been standing by and listening when Stephen gave his Spirit-empowered message in Acts 7 (Acts 7:58; Acts 8:1). Saul’s reaction to the truth of God is not uncommon. Sometimes the initial response to the conviction of the Spirit is anger and rebellion like we see in the life of Saul, soon to become Paul.
Notice one last very important thing from these verses. Saul is the picture of zeal, sincerity, religious pursuit and commitment to his cause, but he is sincerely wrong and in direct opposition to God. This tells us a very important truth. Sincerity does not save. Sincere faith in the actual truth of God in Christ saves. A person can be sincere and still sincerely wrong. Commitment and zeal do not make one right or true. If a person climbs to the top of a building and sincerely believes that if they flap their arms enough, they can fly, if they commit themselves to that belief by taking a leap of faith, they may be sincere, and they may be committed, but they will also be spattered on the truth of gravity and the physics of velocity.
It is not only important how sincerely you believe, but what you sincerely believe in. In our world today, the prevailing philosophy is one of toleration. People are all too willing to turn a blind eye or ignore glaring contradictions and diametrically opposed beliefs in order to create a fantasy picture of harmony, a harmony that is only temporally skin deep. The world castes aside the claims of Jesus to being the exclusive way to salvation (John 14:6) in order to include others such as polytheists, pantheists, non-Trinitarians, and all alternatives to the Biblically revealed truth of God. Such action may give a first impression of harmony, but it is shortsighted. It does not take into consideration the reality of God’s truth and nature, and it is a pipedream because those who hold sincerely to other faulty beliefs will not bend to the ecumenical world view (e.g., Islam).
Saul was sincerely religious and probably even thought he was serving God, but his religion led him to oppose God and the Spirit. Religion, even sincere religious adherence, is not the answer; a saving relationship with God in Christ by the Spirit, which is the only answer. That is what we see in the life of Saul.
The Spirit Acts to Save Saul
This is a tremendously hope-producing passage because it shows that on some occasions the Spirit works to save people on His own. The Spirit will use Ananias later, but here, Saul is knocked down; off his high horse, and brought to terms with the One who he has been persecuting, Jesus. That is the work of the Spirit, to humble sinners and bring them to Jesus (John 16:8-11).
We should not be surprised that it was a bright light that struck Saul down. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). Jesus said He was the “light of the world” (John 8:12; John 9:5) and so it is no wonder that there is a bright light shinning when Jesus makes His presence known to Saul (Acts 9:3).
Jesus is so closely connected to His church that He identifies persecution of the church with persecution of Himself (Acts 9:4-5). People ought to think of that next time they do anything to undermine, attack or divide the church of Christ. One commentator states:
Here a great truth is seen. Although Saul had set out to Damascus to continue his persecution of Christians, it is the Lord who speaks to him and says, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” All sin, regardless of its character, is ultimately directed against the Lord God (Psalm 51:4). There is no such thing as private or personal sin. Every sin that is committed affects others, but in its terminal point, every sin affects God. Saul thought he was persecuting meaningless Christians; instead, he was persecuting the Lord God of heaven. This is the same reaction given by the young Joseph when Potiphar’s wife attempted to seduce him. He responded to her, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). Even the prodigal son recognized this, for when he came to himself, he determined to return to his father and say, “I have sinned against heaven, and before thee” (Luke 15:18). In anger, sin must be directed against an object. In lust, sin may be directed against a person. But in actuality, all sin is directed against God.108
Jesus identifies Himself to Saul and then comments to Saul that “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts 9:5) Goads are prong-like pieces on the plow or wagon designed to prevent a beast of burden from kicking against the driver or carriage being pulled. When the animal kicked, it would hit the goads and it would hurt them, serving as a deterrent.
Signs of a Saved Soul
When we look at the transformation of Saul to Paul, we see clear signs of a saved soul. Salvation is not simply reciting a Sinner’s Prayer or some other statement. Salvation is a matter of the heart. The soul that is saved from their sins through faith in Jesus will never be the same. What are some of these signs or evidence of a saved soul as seen in Saul?
First, submission (Acts 9:5-6). Saul was knocked down off his high horse. He was humbled. He didn’t try to bargain or barter with Jesus. He didn’t come to Jesus on his terms but fully surrendered in faith to Jesus on His terms. That is the first sin of one genuinely saved.
Second, prayer (Acts 9:11). Saul likely prayed to God as a pharisee. Maybe he prayed some dry wrote prayers. But once he encountered Jesus, he prayed with a different life and fervor in the name of his newfound Savior.
Third, “brother’ (Acts 9:17). Paul was instantly referred to as a “brother.” Ananias referred to Saul as a brother in the faith. Saul was welcomed into the family of God.
Fourth, filled with the Spirit (Acts 9:17). Saul was filled with the Spirit according to the testimony of Scripture. We see the life-changing effects the Spirit had on Saul. This was no surface change. This was a deep heart change that was evident to all.
Fifth, fellowship (Acts 9:19). Saul immediately sought out and participated in the fellowship with believers. He knew he needed to be among God’s family and people.
Sixth, preached Christ (Acts 9:20). He was not ashamed of Jesus but immediately told those around him of the Jesus who he now knew as his Savior. The genuinely saved can’t help but share Jesus with others.
Seventh, amazing life change (Acts 9:21). The life change in Saul’s life was amazing and undeniable. When Jesus comes into your heart, you can’t stay the same.
Eighth, spiritual growth (Acts 9:22). Saul’s new life was not stagnant or stifled but was characterized by growth and development in his newfound faith in Jesus.
Ninth, persecution (Acts 9:23). One of the surest signs of one genuinely saved is that old allies turn on you as they see your new life in Christ that convicts them of their own sin. Saul’s change of heart and new powerful proclamation was a damning proclamation against those who opposed and rejected Jesus and the gospel. When you accept Jesus and proclaim Him, you will be opposed. If all is quiet and no one opposes you, check to see your spiritual temperature.
Tenth, persistence (Acts 9:26). Even though Saul was initially rejected by other disciples because they feared the old Saul, Saul didn’t respond to that rejection by retreating into himself or isolation. Saul persisted in seeking fellowship until his brethren saw the truth and reality of what Jesus had done to him.
Eleventh, boldly spoke in the name of Jesus (Acts 9:29). Saul instantly spoke out boldly about Jesus. He knew Jesus was the truth, and he wanted everyone to know it. When you know that Jesus is the truth and that He and He alone saves your soul, you just have to share that with others and do it boldly.
Twelfth, fruitfulness (Acts 9:31). Saul’s conversion blessed those around him, especially the church and its growth. When someone is genuinely saved the church is benefitted.
There are twelve signs of someone genuinely saved as seen in the life of Saul, who would become Paul. That Saul, who was converted, would later write, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5). I pray we all examine ourselves on a regular basis and when we do, that we discover we are in the faith and not disqualified.
What’s Happening to Saul on the Damascus Road? What Does It Mean To Be Saved?
Saul is saved on the Damascus Road. Sometimes, as Christians, we use terms that are foreign to unbelievers and, in effect, we end up speaking a different language that does not communicate the gospel. Therefore, let’s ask a couple of questions here. What is happening to Saul on the road to Damascus? And what does it mean to be saved? What does this passage tell us about these questions?
The word “saved” occurs 101 times in the Bible (NKJV). The word “save” occurs 160 times in the Bible (NKJV). “Saves” occurs 6 times in the Bible (NKJV). And “saving” occurs 6 times in the Bible (NKJV). The word “salvation” occurs 162 times in the Bible (NKJV). Altogether these words (and there are many others, e.g., redemption, forgiven, et al.) relating to being saved are found 435 times in the Bible (NKJV). Being saved and coming into a right relationship with God is the primary theme of the Bible. An entire series of studies could easily be done one this area of the Bible. Indeed all areas of Bible study relate to being saved on some level.
The word saved” in the Old Testament is translated from the Hebrew term YASHA (Strong’s #3467) meaning, “to be open, wide, or free,…to be safe;…to free or succor…avenging, defend, deliver(–er), help, preserve, rescue, be safe, bring (having) salvation, save (–iour), get victory.”109
In the New Testament “saved” is translated from the Greek term SODZO (Strong’s #4982) meaning, “to save, i.e., deliver or protect…heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.”110
But the questions, from what do we need to be saved, delivered, or made whole from? To answer this, we need to consider the plight of humanity and God’s solution.
First, humanity has a sin problem. How could Saul have been so blind, so wrong in doing what he probably thought would be pleasing to God? The answer is sin. Sin has a blinding impact on people (1 Corinthians 2:14). We are born in sin (Psalm 51:5) but God never intended humanity to live in such sin, He desires His truth to reign in our inward parts (Psalm 51:6).
How Much Sin Does It Take to Put You Under God’s Wrath?
How big a sin, or how much sin does it take to put you under the wrath of God, to warrant you going to hell? We only need look to the first sin recorded in the Bible to answer that question. In Genesis 3 it states:
Think about it, at the point of this writing, we are in the heat of summer. Have you ever come in from mowing the lawn or doing yard work, pick up a juicy apple or peach or some other fruit and take a bite? Well, in the proper context, (i.e., being told and forbidden by God to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil) one bite is all it takes to let sin in. Sin that could damn your soul if left unattended to. One bite was all Eve and Adam took, one act of disobedience rooted in rebellion and pride, and sin entered not only their lives but passed on to all humanity (Romans 5).
What makes humanity’s sin problem so lethal is that even one sin is enough to make one guilty and accursed before God. Paul and James write about this, saying:
You see, God has given instructions for life in His word, and they are like a chain. Picture a chain suspended from heaven, and you are on the end of it. Now, how many links do you have to break to plummet to the ground? Just one! The same is true of God’s Law by which all humanity is judged. And if you are thinking, “Wait a minute, what about those who have not heard God’s Law?” No one is exempt since God has given all humanity a conscience. The Bible says:
Everyone is a sinner, born in sin. No one is without sin, and that is a very serious predicament. You might still think, “So what, what’s the big deal about being a sinner?” Sin is a big problem because sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2) and sin cuts off communication between the sinner and God (Psalm 66:18). God doesn’t even want to look at sin (Habakkuk 1:13). Sin blinds us to God’s truth and reality (John 9:41; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Sin enslaves people (John 8:34). Sin results in eternal spiritual death (Romans 6:23). The nature of that eternal death is considered in the next step of salvation.
Second, sin is a problem because God’s wrath is on sinful humanity. God’s wrath is His holy, just, and moral indignation, anger and judgment against sin. There is a just penalty for living in sin, for living in rebellion against God and disregarding God as the Creator and Sustainer and Sovereign of the universe; that consequence is the wrath of God. God’s wrath is the penalty for sin. John the Baptist testified and explained:
The apostle Paul echoed this truth when he was inspired to write:
God’s wrath is not something to ignore or disregard, it is eternally serious, and every person must address this consequence of sin.
Third, religion is not the answer or how to be saved. Religion is human effort to reach God and please Him. It is obvious from the passage that Saul, a devout Jew, a zealous religious man, despite all his sincere religious zeal, is on the wrong side of God and is actually working in direct opposition to God’s will in Christ. This is evidence that religion is not the answer, no matter how sincere it is. God looks for something more, much deeper than outward religion or human efforts to reconcile oneself to God. Jesus said:
Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes were the epitome of religious efforts and yet Jesus denounced them for what their religion had made them (Matthew 23). Religion is not the answer, because it is powerless. The apostle Paul, or Saul himself, later said in a letter:
Attitudes and efforts rooted in religion will only frustrate, prove futile and ultimately fail in spiritual pursuits. God has a far better and more powerful means to save the sinner.
Fourth, God does not desire that anyone go to hell and suffer His eternal wrath. When in the Old Testament God is speaking to His sinful people through the prophet Ezekiel, He says:
God takes no pleasure in the death and sentence of eternal hell for the wicked. He does everything in His power and nature to win the wayward soul to salvation except bypass their human free will. That’s the one thing God will not do. He will not bypass a person’s will to save their soul for to do so would cause that person to cease to be human. That is why God is so patiently waiting to bring the final prophetic calendar to bear and the final judgment. He is patiently waiting to give as many people as possible time to receive His only Son, Jesus as their Savior. The apostle Peter noted this when he was inspired to write:
So permanent and dreadful is the final eternal abode known as hell, that God makes every opportunity available for people to avoid it. But what is it, what is hell?
You Have To Know Heaven to Understand Hell
Hell is the place where God’s righteous sentence of eternal wrath will be levied on those who have sinfully rejected Him and His Son Jesus. But remember one very important thing: hell was not created by God to house humanity; it was created for Satan and his demons. Jesus said:
In reality, those whose eternal destiny culminates in being thrown into hell with Satan and his demons will have chosen to go there by rejecting the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. God doesn’t want people to go to hell.
Hell is eternal (Matthew 25:41). That means there is no ending to it. And if you want to say that the word “everlasting” does not mean forever, just keep in mind that “everlasting” is used to describe heaven as well (Matthew 25:46). Hell is a place of outer darkness (Matthew 8:12). A place where there is no light. Ever groped around in the pitch-black darkness? That is a little of what hell is like. Hell is also a place of eternal fire, a lake of fire (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 19:20). Ever been burned? Few things cause more pain than being burned, and severe burns are lethal and affect the entire body. In hell the burns will be severe, but you won’t be able to get relief from them through death. You’re already dead! Lastly, hell is a place where you won’t be able to sense the presence of the Lord, where you will be eternally in a state of destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:9). Destruction does not mean annihilation, as some like the Jehovah’s Witnesses cult teach. No, hell is a place where people are in an eternal state of destruction; total loss of all they lived for alternatively, to God. Hell is a place where everyone is bankrupt, everyone is missing what he or she need, everyone is groping for fulfillment and whatever he or she desires is beyond their grasp, they are destroyed.
To understand hell and its necessity, you have to understand heaven. You see heaven is a place to spend eternity with God. Heaven is for those who want and have chosen to spend eternity with Jesus. God will not force or allow anyone into heaven who does not want to spend eternity with Him. Why would He want someone in His house who didn’t want to spend time with Him? Would you invite someone to your home who didn’t want to spend time with you? Therefore, those who choose not to desire a relationship with God in Christ, in effect, choose to spend eternity separate from Him in hell. God’s wrath is then justly poured on the inhabitants of hell who have scorned and rejected His persistent loving and gracious provision in His son Jesus.
What Does A Person Do To Go To Hell?
What does a person have to do to go to hell? Nothing. All a person has to do to go to hell is nothing, take no action, and make no decision on Jesus and the gospel. No decision (or indecision) is a decision against Jesus and the gospel. You must decide what you will do with Jesus. You are either for Him or against Him. The Bible states:
Procrastinate and do nothing about Jesus and you will end up in hell.
Fifth, sinful humanity cannot save themselves. There is nothing a person can do to save themselves from the consequences of their sin. Being saved is not a matter of “good works” or your effort to appease or compensate for your sin before God. You see, you can’t do anything that would satisfy the justice of God in His holy court. Think about it, in human courts, if you murdered someone and then were arrested and brought before a judge at trial, you couldn’t seek release by saying, “Judge, I know I killed that guy, but, I promise to save two other people to offset that murder.” No judge on the planet would accept such a plea, and yet that is exactly the mentality that some people have. It is not possible to offset sin with good works. That would be like trying to offset a cinder block on one side of a scale with an ant's antennae on the other side, and even that is not the best illustration, because theoretically, you could eventually accumulate enough ants’ antennae to balance out the cinder block, but in reality that can’t be done with sin and good works. No, the Bible says good works can’t save you. Read what the Bible says about this:
You can’t save yourself from sin by attempting to do good deeds to offset your sin. You can’t compensate for your past sins with future good works. Islam and present-day Judaism both teach righteousness by good works. But if this were the case, how many good works does it take to compensate or offset your sin? Since you can never answer such a question, you can never have assurance of whether or not you are saved. In Islam the only way you can assure going to paradise is to give your life to the cause of Allah in jihad, like a homicide bomber or like those who flew the planes into the World Trade Center buildings on September 11th, 2001. Those who did such and do such things are not in paradise according to the Bible, they are in hell, not because their sin was more heinous than any other, but because they died without Christ as their Savior.
No human court would accept the idea of making up for past offenses by promising to do better in the future, (although this is not as clearly true in the often liberalized and convoluted judicial system in America). If a person commits a murder, comes before a judge and says, “I promise to help a lot of people in the future to make up for that person I murdered.” What judge, what court, will seriously consider such a defense? None, none anywhere. If that is true of human courts, which are often partial and inconsistent, how much more is it true of God, who is totally just and impartial (Deuteronomy 32:4)? You can’t be saved by your works. The only way to be saved from our sin is to go to God and rely on His mercy and grace. And God has made a way for us to be saved from the consequences of our sin.
Sixth, God has made a way to be saved from His eternal wrath through Jesus His Son. Jesus said:
These words of Jesus describe and explain the gospel. They also give us a picture of God’s grace. God’s grace means and points to the fact that God has, free from any work on our part, provided a means by which our sin can be dealt with, forgiven, the debt of sin paid for, through the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
The apostle Paul said it like this:
The only way we can be saved from God’s wrath is by God’s grace through faith in Christ.
Seventh, to be saved, a person has to receive Jesus and His saving work by faith. The Bible says that the only thing a person has to do to be saved from God’s just wrath is to believe in Jesus, to trust Him as our Savior and Lord. This is seen in the following verses:
A person’s salvation is based on their faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. But what is saving faith?
Eight, being saved is a must. If you want to spend eternity with God in Christ, you must be saved. Remember as we studied in Acts 4 what it said:
Look at how that verse ends, “we must be saved.” Being saved is not optional; it is essential, mandatory, and absolutely indispensable. No one should take the wrath of God lightly and everyone should want to be saved from it. The way to be saved from God’s wrath is to trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.
What is Saving Faith?
Saving faith is not a mere assent to certain facts or doctrines; it is not merely knowing something about Jesus. Saving faith is not merely going forward at a crusade or altar call to say you have faith in Jesus and then living as though you’ve forgotten Jesus. Look at Saul, he accepted Jesus as his Lord and was never the same again. Just what is saving faith then? Saving faith is trusting in Jesus. What does it mean to trust in Jesus? One commentator described saving faith in the following way:
In the New Testament, when belief is said to lead to eternal life, as is the case here, the tense expressing continuous action is always used while the tense expressing a single action is never used. The stress is thus placed on a continuous faith rather than on an isolated moment of faith. Never in these passages expressing belief in eternal life is one’s eternal security said to be guaranteed by a single, isolated act of faith (George Allen Turner and Julius R. Mantey, The Gospel According to John, p. 99, who for the final sentence, given as footnote 20, cite E. A. Mills, “Terms for Belief in John’s Gospel”; thesis in Asbury Theological Seminary, 1952).111
There is a story, told about a famous tightrope walker that illustrates what saving faith or trust in Jesus is. According to the story a tightrope line was strung across Niagara Falls and anchored securely with other lines that kept the tightrope from swaying. The tightrope walker then walked across to the other side. Then he made it a bit more difficult by walking across blindfolded. Next he did it again, this time blindfolded and pushing a wheelbarrow. Then, being the good showman that he was, he wanted some audience participation, so he invited someone from the audience to get into the wheel barrel and let him push him across the tightrope across the Falls to the other side. And sure enough, a person volunteered. Now, while the tightrope walker was blindfolded and pushing the volunteer on the tightrope in the wheelbarrow to the other side of the Falls, one of the anchoring ropes snapped, causing the tightrope to begin swaying and become unstable. Everyone watching gasped in horror as the tightrope walker struggled to push his volunteer to the other side. The volunteer was white as a sheet with fear. But sure enough, the tightrope made it. Now he came back to the side where the audience was and asked, “Do you believe I can push someone to the other side on this rope in a wheelbarrow?” The crowd said, of course, they did, since they just saw him do it. Then he got a bit more personal and looked people in the eye in the audience, asking the same question, “Do you believe I can push someone across the rope to the other side of the Falls, do you really believe it?” The people he made eye contact with nodded their heads up and down affirmatively. Then he said, “Good, which one of you will take the tripe with me next? Who will get in the wheelbarrow and come with me?”
You see, that is what saving faith is. It’s not just knowing Jesus could do something or knowing something about Jesus, it’s getting in His wheelbarrow. It’s putting your life in His hands. It’s trusting Him with everything. It’s giving your life to Him. That is what saving faith is and that is what leads to a life-changing impact on a person’s life. That’s what we see in Saul.
What Does Being “Saved’ Mean To Me?
What does being “saved” mean? I asked myself that question and I feel qualified to answer, given I have been “saved” since January 16th, 1977. I thought and prayed about that question and came up with the following list of short statements of what being saved means to me. The list is a bit long because the more I think and pray about being saved, the more I think of how broad and deep the blessings of the Lord are in salvation. Therefore, don’t think this list is exhaustive; it’s only what the Lord put in my heart up to this time. I imagine that in eternity the list of blessings of what being saved means to us will be endless and for that we can only praise the Lord for eternity. Amen! I’ve also sought to make this exercise museful (i.e., meditative and causing one to think as opposed to amusing, which means keeping one from thinking) by limiting myself to using words that begin with “P.” I challenged my congregation with this exercise, and they found it edifying. Being saved, to me, means:
That’s what being saved means to me. But what does it mean to you? All these blessings and provisions by God secured through His only son Jesus mean nothing to you unless you receive them by His grace as a gift through faith in Jesus Christ. That is the message of the Spirit. Are you saved? Have you been waiting and waiting and waiting? What are you waiting for? You may end up like the famous baseball player Ty Cobb:
Ty Cobb, that all-time great who played 3,033 games and for 12 years led the American League in batting average. For four years, he batted over 400. On his deathbed, July 17, 1961, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. He said, “You tell the boys I’m sorry it was the last part of the ninth that I came to know Christ. I wish it had taken place in the first half of the first.112
What inning of your life are you in? Are you approaching the latter innings? Now is the time to seek God so that you can finish well. Don’t miss out on the blessings of God and don’t risk the wrath of God. Ask Him to forgive your sin, receive Jesus by faith and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Get saved!
Why Be Saved, NOW?
Another story is told that well illustrates why we should waste no time on being saved.
Normally the flight from Nassau to Miami took Walter Wyatt, Jr., only sixty-five minutes. But on December 5, 1986, he attempted it after thieves had looted the navigational equipment in his Beechcraft. With only a compass and a hand-held radio, Walter flew into skies blackened by storm clouds.
When his compass began to gyrate, Walter concluded he was headed in the wrong direction. He flew his plane below the clouds, hoping to spot something, but soon he knew he was lost. He put out a mayday call, which brought a Coast Guard Falcon search plane to lead him to an emergency landing strip only six miles away. Suddenly Wyatt's right engine coughed its last and died. The fuel tank had run dry. Around 8 p.m. Wyatt could do little more than glide the plane into the water.
Wyatt survived the crash, but his plane disappeared quickly, leaving him bobbing on the water in a leaky life vest. With blood on his forehead, Wyatt floated on his back. Suddenly he felt a hard bump against his body. A shark had found him. Wyatt kicked the intruder and wondered if he would survive the night. He managed to stay afloat for the next ten hours. In the morning, Wyatt saw no airplanes, but in the water a dorsal fin was headed for him. Twisting, he felt the hide of a shark brush against him. In a moment, two more bull sharks sliced through the water toward him. Again he kicked the sharks, and they veered away, but he was nearing exhaustion. Then he heard the sound of a distant aircraft. When it was within a half mile, he waved his orange vest. The pilot radioed the Cape York, which was twelve minutes away: "Get moving, cutter! There's a shark targeting this guy!" As the Cape York pulled alongside Wyatt, a Jacob's ladder was dropped over the side. Wyatt climbed wearily out of the water and onto the ship, where he fell to his knees and kissed the deck. He'd been saved. He didn't need encouragement or better techniques. Nothing less than outside intervention could have rescued him from sure death. How much we are like Walter Wyatt.113
Folks, we live in shark-infested waters, and we don’t know when one is going to sneak up on us and swallow us whole. We need to take the hand of Jesus and get into His boat to be saved. Peter made a similar statement but used a lion to make his point, saying:
Paul said:
There are few things scarier than the thought of being in a vast ocean with sharks hunting for you. The ocean is dark and deep, and an attack could come at any time. That’s what the life of the unsaved person is like and what makes it all the more scary is that the unsaved person is often swimming without a care, with no idea of the danger they are in. On the other hand, picture a beautiful clear pool or clear water beach where the water is the perfect temperature and you are safe from predators to swim in peace. That is what heaven is like. Now if you accept Jesus and are saved now, there are still sharks swimming and lions prowling, but you have Someone, Jesus, who is always able to protect you. And not only that, but you will someday spend an eternity together with Him. We need to be saved, NOW! Today is the day of salvation. Waste no time and risk no chance to be saved today (Hebrews 3:7-15).
When Was Saul Saved?
It is important to know when Saul was saved in order to see the works of the Spirit to save him and empower him (i.e., the Spirit indwelling him and then him being baptized with the Spirit to empower him for service). I believe Saul was saved right here on the road to Damascus. I base this on the fact that the text tells us that once Jesus got Saul’s attention and identified Himself as “Jesus,” Saul’s response was immediate submission to Jesus as Lord saying, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” (Act 9:6). Saul could have rejected Jesus, he could have resisted Jesus or turned away from Jesus, but instead he submitted obediently to Jesus. Saul’s obedient submission to Jesus as Lord is spiritual fruit that evidences his salvation.
Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 12:3 it states:
In light of this verse, Saul’s words, “What do you want me to do Lord?” reveal a conversion experience in the heart of Saul.
After Jesus has clearly identified Himself to Saul, Saul’s submissive response of, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” is a clear indication that Saul has bowed before Jesus and submitted to Him as Savior. Saul had heard all that Stephen said about the history of the Jews and Who Jesus was. He had initially rejected the message and gone out in an attempt to stamp out Christianity. Now he was stopped dead in his tracks, not only by the bright light, but also by the One Who is Light. Almost instantaneously, all the pieces to the puzzle of salvation must have become clear to Saul. In his heart he must have thought, “So it is true, Jesus is the Lord, He is the Savior as the Christians have been preaching. I must submit to Him as Lord.” The word “Lord,” (Greek KURIOS) means “master.” The context here indicates a drastic turn or repentance by Saul.
Furthermore, Jesus tells Saul to go into the city so that he can be told what he must do, and Saul obeys the Lord (Acts 9:6). Saul didn’t pay lip service to Jesus, he acted on his faith. His faith was not dead, it was alive with obedience. From this point on, we see a 180–degree change in Saul’s life, which is evidentiary fruit of salvation and conversion, of spiritual regeneration in his life. Saul will later come to be known as Paul (Acts 13:9).
The Spirit Uses Unlikely Servants
Isn’t it beautiful how the Lord orchestrates the circumstances of a conversion? Jesus arranges the circumstances and the people needed to minister and lead people to salvation and commission them for service. This is the act of the Spirit, because it is the Spirit who is the great Communicator of the will of Jesus.
Notice that Ananias had a relationship with Jesus. And that relationship was one where Ananias felt comfortable enough to interact with Jesus prayerfully. He did not place any demands on Jesus, (like so many health-wealth types do, which makes Jesus little more than a cosmic bellhop to them) but he did feel free to speak to Jesus and share his feelings about what Jesus was asking him to do (Acts 9:10,13). Jesus hears Ananias’ words but directs him to go and explains that He has a purpose for Saul (Acts 9:15-16). To be born again means to be brought, by the Holy Spirit, into a personal relationship with Jesus. That is what we see in Ananias. Jesus works through those who have been brought by the Spirit into a saving personal relationship with Him.
It’s also interesting to note that the people the Spirit uses, those chosen by Jesus, like Saul, are those you wouldn’t normally expect Him to use (Acts 9:15-16). Saul was hell-bent on destroying Christians. You couldn’t find a more unlikely person to be used by God. But God sees deeper and further than humans do. His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). And so we see people like Saul converted and used by the Lord. We need to be open to those God chooses. We may look at someone and think his life and sin has totally disqualified him from ever possibly being used by the Lord, but that person may be exactly whom the Lord wants to use. That is one of the great blessings of the good news of the gospel. God can take a dirty-rotten scoundrel of a sinner, save them, fill them with the Spirit and make them a saint empowered for His use. No matter how bad or sinful a person is, there remains a glimmer of hope that they can be saved and used by God. Nothing is impossible with God (Matthew 19:26). Remember that and don’t give up on that person you’re praying for, or the one for whom you’ve been praying for so long.
Ananias is at first resistant because of the reputation of Saul as a persecutor of the church. He’s not used to seeing persecutors transformed into proclaimers of the gospel. But Ananias didn’t know that Saul had been drastically changed by the Lord. This is an important point to see here. Saul didn’t just say the words “What do you want me to do Lord?” and then go on his merry way. Saul was praying (Acts 9:11). The life of the Spirit was now in Saul, and he couldn’t help but pray to the One who had saved his soul.
The Spirit’s Vital Sign of Life (Spiritual Life) – Prayer
Jesus tells Ananias that Saul “is praying” (Acts 9:6). Saul had probably prayed before, but only as a religious Pharisee (see Matthew 6). Now Saul did not merely pray words, he prayed to a Person. Prayer is the vital sign of spiritual life in the person who is saved. Read what Charles Haddon Spurgeon said about prayer in the life of the believer:
Prayer comes spontaneously from those who abide in Jesus. Prayer is the natural out-gushing of a soul in communion with Jesus. As the leaf and fruit come out of the vine branch without any conscious effort and simply because of its living union with the stem, so prayer buds and blossoms and fruits outof souls abiding in Jesus. As stars shine, so do abiders pray. They do not say to themselves, "It is time for us to get to our task and pray." No they pray as wise men eat-namely, when the desire for it is upon them. They do not cry out as under bondage, "At this time, I ought to be in prayer, but I do not feel like it. What a weariness it is!" They have a glad errand at the mercy seat and rejoice to go there. Hearts abiding in Christ send forth supplications as fire sends out flames and sparks. Souls abiding in Jesus open the day with prayer; prayer surrounds them as an atmosphere all day long; at night they fall asleep praying. They are able to joyfully say, 'When I awake, I am still with thee.' (Psalm 139:18 KJV)
Saul’s praying was a logical result of having received Jesus as His Savior.
A Reminder About Prayer
In Acts 4, we discussed that the Spirit moves people to pray. The Spirit communicates the nature and will of Jesus in us and Jesus was a man of prayer. Jesus was a man of prayer and even spent entire nights in prayer (Matthew 19:13; Matthew 26:36-44; Mark 6:46; Mark 9:29; Luke 6:12; Luke 22:45). Jesus set aside time to pray during critical times in His life and ministry (Luke 3:21; Luke 6:12; Luke 9:18; Luke 22:44; Luke 23:46). When we look at the early church we see that the ministry of the apostles was bathed in prayer (Acts 1:14; Acts 2:42; Acts 6:4; Acts 12:5). Paul exhorts believers to pray for everyone, especially those in positions of authority (1 Timothy 2:1). Paul himself was continually in prayer (1 Timothy 5:5). Jesus taught that prayer and faith linked believers to the resources of God (Mark 11:24). Prayer is important. But just what is prayer?
Much of this is a review from our study in Acts 4, but in Matthew, when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, He said, “And when you pray” (Matthew 6:5). This implies that disciples need to pray. What is prayer? What does it mean to pray? The word “pray” is translated from the Greek term PROSEUCHE (“Prayer” – Noun – Strong’s #4335) PROSEUCHOMAI (“Pray” – Verb – Strong’s #4336). This word consists of the preposition PROS (Strong’s #4314), which is used to connote direction, “forward to; toward; by the side of; near to.” The root of the word is EUCHOMAI (Strong’s #2172) which means “to pray (to God); will; wish.”114 EUCHOMAI was used in Classical Greek to refer to a “offer prayer; pray that; vow.” This word also has the implied meaning of “desire.”115 Therefore, prayer is turning toward the Lord and coming to His side with a desire. That “desire” doesn’t need to be self-centered or request oriented, it can be simply a desire to know the Lord, to speak with the Lord.
Prayer Is A Personal Meeting With God
Jesus said, ““But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:6) This instruction of Jesus to the disciples implies a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH God. You can’t pray one on one with God if you don’t have a personal relationship with Him. Jesus tells the disciples that their prayers must be personal, between them and God. Prayer is pouring out your heart before God and listening (through His word) for God’s direction and response. Prayer is reverent, intimate, loving, dialogue with God.
Pastor Chuck Smith makes the following comments on this verse:
Somehow this whole idea has crept into our thinking process [that] the longest prayers are the most effective prayers, and it’s the length of the prayer that creates the effectiveness rather than the earnestness of the prayer or the faith by which we pray.
We need to realize that prayer is talking to the Father. It’s laying out our heart before Him. It’s baring my soul unto God. And thus, our prayers ought to be thought out and articulated well. If someone would come up to me and talk to me like they talk to God, using vain repetitions, I would think, what’s wrong with them? And we can use vain repetitions in just “Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, oh praise God, hallelujah, praise God, bless God”; that can be a vain repetition,…just words, not necessarily coming from your heart. I can’t help but think that the “Hail Mary’s” and the “Our Father’s” are vain repetitions, thinking that we’ll be heard for our much speaking.116
E. M. Bounds lived in the 1800s and was a man known for his devotion to God in prayer. He wrote a number of insightful and challenging books on prayer, one of which is entitled, “The Reality of Prayer”. In this book, Bounds tells us about the connection of prayer to the believer saying:
Prayer is no petty invention of man, a fancied relief for fancied ills. Prayer is no dreary performance, dead and death-dealing, but is God’s enabling act for man, living and life-giving, joy and joy-giving. Prayer is the contact of a living soul with God. In prayer, God stops to kiss man, to bless man, and to aid man in everything that God can devise, or man can need. Prayer fills man’s emptiness with God’s fullness. It fills man’s poverty with God’s riches. It puts away man’s weakness with God’s strength. It banishes man’s littleness with God’s greatness. Prayer is God’s plan to supply man’s great and continuous need with God’s great and continuous abundance.117
A disciple prays to the Father personally and has conversation with God. True prayer is a heartfelt conversation with our heavenly Father. Prayer is not empty words recited from memory without the mind or heart engaged or included in the process. That is what the religious Pharisees were guilty of doing, according to Jesus. Because of this, Jesus said the religious Pharisees were no better than the “heathen” or unbelievers. Prayer, true prayer, is the vital sign of spiritual life.
The Spirit Empowers Saul for Ministry
This, I believe is Saul’s commissioning and empowering baptism with the Holy Spirit (subsequent to his being saved and the Spirit indwelling him – Acts 9:5-6; Romans 8:9). He was baptized with water here, of course, but a deeper heart-felt baptism with the Holy Spirit, an empowerment for ministry, takes place here. This is evidenced by the following verses, which tells us he immediately went out preaching in the synagogues. The empowerment that comes through the baptism with the Holy Spirit is to serve, not to merely excite, people and be manipulated as a spectacle as is seen in so many church settings. The Holy Spirit won’t make you act stupid. He cleanses the heart from what keeps you from total devotion and surrender to God so that you can serve Him wholeheartedly. It is the Spirit who enables the disciple to overcome unholy inhibitions that hinder the work of God in and through a disciple.
In Acts 9:17-18, Ananias lays hands on Paul and explains that God had sent him, that Saul would be “filled” with the Holy Spirit. This occurs subsequent or after Paul’s conversion (Acts 9:5-6). Notice the word “filled” is used here to refer to the subsequent work of the Spirit, just as it was used in Acts 2 at Pentecost. The word “filled’ when used to describe the work of the Spirit can refer to the initial filling of the person with the Spirit at conversion or the subsequent filling of the believer of the Spirit for power. It is the context that determines which work of the Spirit is being referred to.
The Spirit Empowers Saul With a Purpose
Saul preached Christ “Immediately” as the “Son of God.” The manner in which Saul taught is important. Saul didn’t teach that Jesus was a mere human prophet, human healer or miracle worker, a really good person, or some other thing; he taught that Jesus was the “Son of God.” That designation and title of Jesus is extremely important (Acts 9:20).
What Does It Mean to Proclaim Jesus as “The Son of God”?
What does it mean to preach or teach that Jesus is “the Son of God”? When we see Jesus referred to as “the Son of God” in the Bible, we see a number of aspects of Jesus’ nature and messianic role. What does the Bible say about Jesus as the Son of God?
First, proclaiming Jesus as “the Son of God” means proclaiming Jesus is the unique Father loved and given, ONLY Son of God. Jesus is not merely a son of God, but He is THE Son of God. Jesus is the “ONLY” Son of God (Strong’s #3439 – MONOGENES – mon-og-en-ace´;…only-born, i.e., sole…only (begotten, child).”119 There is ONLY ONE begotten of the Father and that is Jesus. Jesus is unique. There is no one else like Jesus as “the Son of God.” Read what the Bible says in this regard:
Jesus is uniquely the only-begotten Son of God, loved by the Father and given by the Father to redeem the world from sin. Jesus, as the Son of God, reveals His own uniqueness and the supreme love of the Father who freely gave Him to save the world from sin.
Second, preaching Jesus as “the Son of God” means proclaiming Jesus as God. Seeing Jesus as “the Son of God” affirms His deity. When we look in the Bible we see that Jesus, as the Son of God, is Eternally begotten (Psalm 2:7; Hebrews 1:5); He is the Messianic King (Psalm 89:26-27); Virgin-born, i.e., without a sin nature (Luke 1:31-35); A member of the Triune Godhead (Matthew 28:19); and the Priest-King (Hebrews 1:8; 5:5-6).
That Jesus as “the Son of God” is God in the flesh, God incarnate, is seen clearly in the opening words of the Gospel of John. The apostle John was inspired to write in his gospel:
John uses the phrase “the Word” (“Word” – Greek LOGOS – Strong’s #3056)120 because it was commonly understood in Greek and Jewish philosophy to refer to “speaking, a message, or words.”121 The use of “Word” in such philosophical circles was ambiguous and searching, a way to refer to a Higher Power so to speak. John uses this phrase to show that what the Greek and Jewish philosophers were searching for was Jesus Christ who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” who is the answer to all ambiguity and the only way to find God, be saved from sin and enter into eternal life with Him (John 14:6). In these verses of John we see the Lord reveal through him that “the Word” was already in existence “in the beginning”, which addresses the eternal nature of God. We are further shown that “the Word was with God,” which points to compound or Triune nature of God. And we are shown that “the Word was God,” a clear identification of “the Word” as a way of referring to the God of the universe (John 1:1-20). The Triune nature of God is evidenced in the statement that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”, which points to the incarnation of Jesus. In Jesus, we find the “grace and truth” of God (John 1:14). Jesus, in fact, is the revelation of God. No one has ever seen God, but now, in Christ, God has enabled humanity to see Himself (John 1:18). Jesus as “the Word” is identified as “the only-begotten of the Father” and “the only-begotten Son” showing that to declare Jesus as “the Son of God” is to identify Him as God, to recognize the revelation of His deity and proclaim that deity of Jesus.
The importance of knowing and proclaiming Jesus as “the Son of God” is further shown by John in his first epistle, where he is inspired to write:
These verses tell us that a person cannot really know God unless they know Jesus as “the Son of God.” Unless you realize Jesus is God, you miss out on the entire blessed truth that God not only is righteous and just in holy requirements, but He is also blessedly loving in giving Himself as a Sacrifice in “the Son of God.”
Some religions, such as Islam, deny that Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God and therefore His deity. Islam is antagonistic to the truth of Jesus as the Son of God, saying that “God does not beget nor is He begotten.” This is a straight denial of the deity of Jesus Christ. This contradiction of Islam is justified by claiming that the Old and New Testaments as possessed by Judeo-Christian faiths are a perversion and mistranslation of God’s revelation, and that the Koran (Islam’s holy book which contains a truly convoluted mistake-riddled version of the Old Testament), is the only true word of God. One needs only go to the Koran and compare it with the word of God (The Bible – 66 books – Genesis to Revelation) to see that it is not even in the same ballpark with the Christian Bible.
In the book Unveiling Islam, Ergun and Emir Caner make the following comment on Islam’s view of Jesus:
After hearing about the saving grace of Jesus Christ, it became evident to Ergun that Islam was wrong about one seminal thing: there was no way that Jesus could have been [merely] a prophet, as Islam taught. Jesus was arrested and imprisoned on a dual indictment – the Romans held Him for insurrection, the Jewish leaders convicted Him of blasphemy that is, claiming to be God. Islam, in order to resolve the matter of the Resurrection, teaches that Judas, not Jesus, was crucified, allowing Jesus to appear three days later. Yet even that bit of misinformation doesn’t confront the larger issue of Jesus’ deity. Even extra-biblical history notes that Jesus claimed to be God, an act of blasphemy, which was a capital offense.
To borrow a motif from the Christian philosopher C. S. Lewis, if Jesus claimed to be God, He couldn’t have been a prophet. He could have been insane, like those who wander the streets assuming they are divine. But if He were insane, He couldn’t have been one of Allah’s prophets. He could have been a fraud, deceiving people, but, again, an imposter and charlatan couldn’t have been a prophet of Allah. Ergun faced one other option: Jesus was who He said He was” Immanuel – God with us.”122
Third, to deny Jesus as “the Son of God” is to contradict the witness of God and His word. God and Jesus Himself and others witness that Jesus is “The Son of God,” in the Bible. The Father (Matthew 17:5); Christ Himself (John 9:35-37); the Holy Spirit (Romans 1:1-4); Disciples (Matthew 16:16); demons (Mark 5:7); and Satan himself (Matthew 4:3, 6). In light of these witnesses, to say Jesus is not “the Son of God” is to go against and contradict the witness of God and His word. The purpose of the word of God is to reveal Jesus as the Son of God. We see this in the following verses:
As “the Son of God”, Jesus is the full revelation of the Father, of God. If you don’t know Jesus as “the Son of God,” you don’t have a truthful and complete understanding of who God is.
Fourth, preaching Jesus as “the Son of God” glorifies God. When Jesus learned that His close friend Lazarus was sick, He went to heal him. But Jesus didn’t rush because He knew that Lazarus would die and be raised from the dead. Why didn’t Jesus rush? Because Jesus wanted the Son of God to be glorified as the Son of God. Read John’s account and what Jesus said in this regard:
Notice how the “glory of God” is equated by Jesus with “the Son of God may be glorified…” Jesus referred to Himself as “the Son of God” and did miraculous works to bring glory to God and Himself as “the Son of God.” This testifies to His own self-image as God.
Fifth, preaching Jesus as “the Son of God” proclaims His qualification to save sinners. No mere sinful man could serve as the sacrificial Lamb on the cross; it took the sinless Son of God, God in the flesh, to do that. 52 times in the Old Testament the phrase “without blemish” is used to describe the sacrifice acceptable to God. This truth is revealed in the words of Paul, who stated:
“Under the Law” (Galatians 4:4-5) means that Jesus as “the Son of God” fulfilled and satisfied all of the just requirements of the holy Law of God in His redemptive work. As “the Son of God,” Jesus was the only One qualified to go to the cross to redeem the sinner from their sin. If Jesus is not God in the flesh, and only a mere man, then He would be sinful because all mere humans fall short of God’s glory because of sin (Romans 3:23). Therefore, to deny Jesus as the Son of God, God in the flesh, is to undermine the redemptive plan of God and extinguish the flame of salvation ignited by Jesus on the cross. Simply put, if Jesus is not the Son of God, God in the flesh, no one is saved! But because Jesus is the Son of God and that means He is God in the flesh, then not only do we have the salvation plan of God fulfilled and provided to us, but we also see the incredible love of God in His personal sacrifice on the cross.
Sixth, preaching Jesus as “the Son of God” shows that spiritual eternal life begins and is sustained by knowing Jesus as “the Son of God.” Spiritual life comes to those who believe Jesus is “the Son of God” and has paid the death penalty for their sins by grace. Spiritual life is in the accepted revelation from God that Jesus is “the Son of God.” There are numerous verses that reveal this truth to us, some of which are:
Sanctification is the inner change worked in the heart of the saved once a person accepts Jesus as their Savior. As the above verses show, that process of sanctification involves being conformed to the likeness of Jesus, the Son of God.
Now think about this practically; if Jesus is only a mere man, then what power does a mere man have to save us or provide for us? It is through Christ the Son of God, God in the flesh, that we can expect to be empowered to do all things (Philippians 4:13). If Jesus is just a man and not God, it undermines the power God provides to us. But because Jesus is the Son of God, God in the flesh, we can go confidently to Him and find grace to help us in time of need, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, through God who strengthens us (Hebrews 4:16; Philippians 4:13, 19).
Seventh, preaching Jesus as “the Son of God” means proclaiming the necessity of accepting Jesus as “the Son of God” and that all it entails is essential to salvation. Now you might be thinking, “Wait a minute, why is it so important that anyone knows Jesus as “the Son of God”? Well, if the above evidence hasn’t convinced you, let me give you some examples of those who don’t know Jesus as the Son of God.
Mormons don’t see Jesus as the Son of God; they see him as an “elder brother” of all men and the particular brother of Lucifer. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not see Jesus as God, as “the son of God” but as Michael the archangel. Sun Myung Moon of the Unification Church sees Jesus as a perfect man, but not God. They believe Jesus failed in his mission, which they say was to make a perfect family. Don’t worry though, Jesus has returned in the embodiment of Mr. Moon who they believe is superior to Jesus and will complete the mission Jesus failed to complete. Christian Scientists don’t see Jesus as “the Son of God” but as an “idea” that is not to be equated with being God and who did not suffer for sins, die on the cross or raise from the dead and His is certainly not literally coming back. (Won’t they be surprised when “the Son of God” does return in the clouds with great power and glory?) Spiritualists see Jesus as a prophet and medium. Scientologists rarely even mention Jesus. New Agers see Jesus as a spiritual model, a guru, and an “ascended master.” Hindus see Jesus as an avatar, a guru, an incarnation of Vishnu. They see him as a “son of God” like others, not “the Son of God” that He is. Buddhists see Jesus as almost unimportant and only that He was an enlightened teacher. Baha’i World Faith sees Jesus as just one of many manifestations of God, such as Moses, Jesus, Muhammad and most recently, and who they feel is the greatest manifestation of God, Baha’u’llah. Muslims see Jesus as a prophet and only a prophet. All of these varying views are the result of disregarding God’s revelation of Jesus as “the Son of God.” All of these alternative views miss the mark and fail to see the truth of God or His gracious salvation. All of these alternative views of Jesus fail to secure salvation from sin and fail to bring a person into a saving knowledge of God. If you believe or hold to views of Jesus such as these, you are still stained by sin and destined for hell. Only a right view of Jesus as the Son of God can lead to your salvation from sin. That’s a pretty good reason to view Who Jesus is as being very important.
The apostle John was inspired to write concerning the importance of knowing Jesus as “the Son of God”, saying:
The Spirit in the work of salvation communicates and convicts that Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God who has died on the cross for the sinner. By God’s grace and love He sent His only Son to be a substitute on the cross to pay the death penalty for the sin of the world (1 John 2:1-2). Knowing Jesus as the Son of God, therefore, is the basis of being saved from your sin. Unless you accept and know Jesus as “the Son of God,” you don’t have the right Jesus and you aren’t saved.123 That Jesus is understood to be and proclaimed to be “the Son of God” is indispensable to knowing Him and being saved by Him.
The Serpent’s Deception
Why is it that, so many have such a wrong view of Jesus? Why is it that, so many fail to see Jesus as the only-begotten Son of God? The apostle Paul was inspired by the Spirit to tell us what is at the root of this problem when he wrote:
Satanic deception is at the root of a faulty and sinful view of Jesus which denies His deity and that He is the Son of God. Deception surrounds and permeates wrong views of Jesus. Paul said it well when the Spirit moved him to write:
These verses tell us who is at the root of deception about Jesus, i.e., Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4). Those who deceive about Jesus do it with the manipulation of God’s word, similar to that of Satan (2 Corinthians 4:2). This passage also tells us that those who deceive about Jesus do so to put themselves in His place (2 Corinthians 4:5). The only way to cut through the thick fog of deceit about Jesus is to go to God and seek His glorious light and truth about Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:5). If we look at cults and their common wrong view of Jesus, we see those who draw attention to themselves away from Jesus. We see those who crave power and manipulate those who are willing to often lazily trust others to do their Bible study for them and relinquish their own responsibilities to get into God’s word (2 Timothy 2:15).
Deception, and the sad destination deception leads to, is the consequence of not loving the truth and the God of truth enough to investigate and call out to Him personally to get right with Him. The Bible tells us that this is a characteristic of those in the last days who forsake the Son of God and follow the Antichrist. Paul writes to the Thessalonians:
Knowing Jesus as the Son of God is of the utmost import. If you refuse to see Jesus as Who He is, the Son of God, you may end up following the Antichrist rather than Jesus the Christ, the Son of God.
The Spirit’s Purpose of Empowerment and Key to Spiritual Growth
The change made by Jesus by the Spirit in the life of a person who is saved, is AMAZING. It is impossible to accept Jesus into your life and not be changed. Saul, later called Paul, was inspired by the Spirit to write about this change when he said:
Jesus said you would be able to tell whether or not a person was false by the spiritual fruit they bore (Matthew 7:15-20). The same is true of those who profess salvation. The person who is saved will be changed, changed from within; the heart that is changed can’t help but reveal itself in the outward life of the person (James 2). The saved person experiences definite change, and that change is amazing to those who knew them prior to their salvation.
The purpose of the empowerment of the Spirit is TO SERVE. Saul just couldn’t keep it in, he could not keep to himself the wonderful work that Jesus had done in him and the wonderful truth he now knew about Jesus. Certainly the change in his life, the noticeable spiritual fruit was amazing and a sign, to all of what Jesus had done in the life of this one-time enemy of the gospel of Christ. Sometimes, baptism with the Spirit is seen as an experience for the sake of experience. People seek the experience of the baptism with the Spirit as a kind of spiritual titillation or amusement. The Spirit does not baptize people with power to make them bark like dogs, get all tingly, fall down flat, or laugh uncontrollably. The Spirit empowers people with a purpose, to serve the Lord. This is something we need to consider and think about. Interestingly, did you know that a synonym for meditate is muse? I bring that up because amusement means something that keeps a person from meditating or thinking. The baptism with the Spirit should get us to think and meditate on how He wants to use us, it is not meant to make us silly and stupid spiritually. Once baptized in the Spirit and empowered, Saul gets right to work preaching the word of God and serving Jesus. That’s the purpose of the Spirit’s empowerment.
The Spirit’s key to spiritual growth is SERVICE. Saul grew in strength spiritually as he served the Lord with the gift he was obviously given, preaching/teaching. We grow spiritually strong by serving the Lord with the spiritual gifts He gives us (Acts 9:22). When we serve, we learn how the Spirit operates, and we learn by experience what ministry is all about. It is as though we are a spiritual muscle. When muscles are not used they atrophy and become weak and fat. But when a muscle is exercised, the fat is squeezed out and burned off and the muscle itself becomes stronger and stronger as it is stretched and used.
Paul wrote to the carnal Corinthians who were in great need of spiritual growth:
“Love edifies”, Paul says. Edify means to build up. Paul says here that love builds us spiritually. Love is a verb, a word of action. When we serve in love, we grow spiritually. Love comes from the Spirit (Romans 5:5). And we are called to serve in Christlike love (John 13:15, 35; 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15). When we serve others in love, we edify them and ourselves (Romans 15:2).
The Spirit Acts and Protects Saul
Those left behind by the newly converted often become enemies. But the Spirit was looking after Saul and protecting him, making known the plot that had been laid against him and moving the disciples to move him to safety. The Bible has a lot to say about the protection God provides to those serving Him.
The Protection of God
What is the nature of God’s protection? What is the protection of God? Below are three aspects of God’s protection that help us to understand and not presume on God’s protection.
First, God is the Protector of His servants. God in His word assures us that in times of danger and fear He will sustain and protect us. That doesn’t mean that we will be free of trials and hardship, (as the Book of Acts clearly shows) it means that he will always be with us, sometimes, in His will helping us to avoid harm, sometimes according to His will, allowing us to be harmed but sustained by His grace. There are numerous verses which show this:
Every breath we take is by the grace of God. Ever watch a toddler throughout the day? Every parent knows it is by the grace of God that his or her child gets through the day without a mortal wound. It is true that some children do die, and why God chooses not to protect them is an issue of His sovereign will and omniscience that only He can fully know. But we know He is all-loving and just and must trust His judgment and will in such matters. Surely we who live on can thank Him every moment of every day for protecting us from dangers around us.
When we look at the Bible we see this to be true in the lives of so many people. David was protected from Saul (1 Samuel 19). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were protected by God in the midst of a fiery furnace (Daniel 3). Daniel was protected through a whole night in a den of lions (Daniel 6). And in Acts we have numerous instances of God’s protection of the disciples (e.g., Acts 4; Acts 9:23-31; Acts 12; Acts 27; Acts 28). God is able to protect His servants.
Third, God protects us according to His ordained plan for our lives. The Spirit still had work for Saul to do, therefore, Saul was protected. In Psalms, it states:
God “fashioned” (Hebrew yaw-tsar’…“through the squeezing into shape…; to mold into a form;…as a potter;…to determine…fashion, form, frame, make (–r), potter, purpose.”124) or fashions our days. He ordains and orders the days of our lives, the number of them. God knows the duration of our lives and watches over us to see that His purposes in and through us are completed. Therefore, Saul was protected because God wasn’t finished with him or the work He planned to do through him. That’s a comforting thought, that God will preserve us to fulfill His purposes in our lives.
We need not fear or tremble at the thought of Satan and what this world may throw at us because as long as we are about the purposes of the Lord, he will protect us until His work in and through us is complete. This doesn’t mean we should become reckless or presumptuous, but it does mean we should be courageous in the Spirit (see Joshua 1; Acts 28:15).
Fourth, God does not protect people from danger due to presumption. When Satan was tempting Jesus in the wilderness, one of his temptations was to take Jesus to a high place and challenge Him to jump off. Read the account:
God’s promise of protection is not to be abused by presuming upon it like Satan tried to get Jesus to do. If you act foolishly and put yourself in danger presuming upon the protection of the Lord, you just might go splat! God’s protection should be praised and appreciated, but never presumed upon foolishly.
Fifth, God’s protection does not mean we will not experience pain or trials. Remember Job, God protected him in that Satan was not allowed to take his life. But the purposes of God required that Satan be allowed to test Job’s faith with trials that were severe Job 1 and Job 2; Job 2:6). God protects us, but there are times His protection allows for our suffering (1 Peter 3:17; 1 Peter 4:19). When such things occur, we are to trust in God’s plan and purpose, saying along with the Psalmist:
The story of Job is not so much a message about trails and affliction as it is an example of faith building. There is a great blessing received by Job at the end of the Book of Job. At the end of all the afflictions and trials Job goes through at the hand of Satan, he is blessed not simply because his health and wealth are restored, but because he knows God better and his faith has been strengthened and proved. Peter and James were aware of this truth when they were inspired to write:
God does protect us. Sometimes that protection is complete, and we suffer no harm or loss. But other times, for the purpose of God, His protection allows for suffering and loss and in those times we need to trust Him to do what is best for us and according to His righteous purposes and holy will.
From What Does God Protect us?
What does God protect us from? From our limited human perspective, I am sure there are countless times God has protected us that we are not aware of. There are times we awake late, or something happens that causes us to be late for work or some other appointment and when we drive to our destination we come across an accident that, had we been on time, we might have been a part of. Little incidents like that fill our lives, and we don’t’ always recognize they may be fulfilling the protective purposes of God.
This is also part of the goodness and grace of God that is meant to lead sinners to repent (Romans 2:4). Many a sinner has been awakened to eternal reality and their need to get right with God through near misses of danger that only God could have protected them from.
To help us understand and appreciate the protection of God, let’s look at what the Lord protects us from. There are seven things the Bible says God protects us from.
First, God protects us from calamity. The Bible states:
David wrote this psalm when he was fleeing from King Saul from cave to cave. The word calamity carries with it the idea of ruin rushing in upon a person, of evil wreaking havoc in one’s life (Strong’s #1942 – hav-vaw’).125 God watches over His servants, assuring that evil entities do not overwhelm them with their attacks. Now notice here, David was going through a very difficult time. He was being pursued by King Saul, who was mentally unstable and out to kill David. David experienced such a trial, but God protected David by not letting his enemy overwhelm him. That is God’s protection.
Second, God protects us from enemies. In Psalms, it states:
When an enemy attacks the servant of the Lord and that servant cries out, God comes to make His presence known as a loving parent coming to stick up for and protect their child. A parent can have a difficult child with whom they often argue and have conflict with, but let somebody threaten to do harm against that child and the parental instincts of protection kick in. No matter how misbehaved we are before God, He will still protect us (He will discipline us, but He will also protect us – Hebrews 12:10-11).
Third, God protects us from dangers. Again, in Psalms, it states:
This world is like a minefield set up by the devil to blow up believers. This world is like a maze of tricks designed by the devil to trip up believers. These verses tell us that God protects us in this perilous world and will keep us from slipping up. There are countless ways God has protected us that we are unaware of. We need to pray for and thank Him for the daily protection He provides. Each morning our family does not go out the door until we have gathered and prayed for God’s protection from physical harm and the attacks of the enemy Satan. And we are constantly thanking Him for His protection.
Fourth, God protects us from excessive trials and temptations. In the New Testament it states:
This is a verse that gives us a perfectly balanced view of God’s protection. Here we see that God does not tell us through Paul that we will not go through trials or temptations (the word PIERASMOS from which the word “temptations” is translated can refer to trials or temptations – Strong’s #3986 – pi-ras-mos´;…a putting to proof (by experiment [of good], experience [of evil], solicitation, discipline or provocation);…adversity…temptation, try.” 126) what God tells us is that God protects us from trials or temptations that are “beyond what you are able.” God will protect us in these overwhelming situations by providing “the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
Fifth, God protects us from evil. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians:
God watches out for you and warns you about the devices of Satan who wants to destroy you. One way He warns us and guards us is through His word. If you want to be guarded against the evil one, get into God’s word because God exposes all the tricks of the devil in His spiritual war manual, the Bible. God is far greater than our enemy Satan and is able and fully capable of thwarting his attacks. The bible tells us this saying:
The Bible tells us to be aware of Satan and his desire to destroy us. Peter wrote:
How can we prepare for Satan and his attacks? The Lord instructs us in His word that we should not depend on our strength but on God’s power, that our weapons are not worldly but spiritual, and therefore, we need to put on the spiritual armor of God. We see this in the following verses:
God protects us from the evil of Satan, but we should not presume or take the threat of evil lightly. Instead, we need to avail ourselves of the spiritual weaponry God provides because it is through those weapons that God protects us from evil.
Sixth, God will protect us from falling into sin. God protects us and sets up measures meant to help you keep from falling into sin. In Jude it states:
As we walk by faith in the Spirit living in the love of the Lord, serving those around us, God helps us to resist falling into sin. No one ever falls into sin without having first been warned and usually repeatedly warned against the danger ahead. Think about it; think about the last time you fell into sin. God always warns us against the sin that lies ahead. Remember His words to Cain? God told Cain:
God warns us by speaking to us by the Spirit in His word. God tells us in His word, not only about the nature of sin but also the consequences we can expect by allowing ourselves to fall into sin. The resources are there from God to keep us from falling into sin. In the Spirit we must avail ourselves of God’s provisions and use them to help us flee from sin.
Seventh, God protects us from His wrathful judgment. In Revelation in Christ’s letter to the Philadelphian church, He says:
Jesus mentions the perseverance of the Philadelphian believers, which implies they were suffering and being tried in some way, being persecuted. Believers will suffer persecution on this earth in this world (read 1 Peter, an epistle devoted to such situations). But there is a trial that God will not allow us to experience and that is the tribulation coming upon the earth from Him. Trials and tribulations for the believer are inevitable in this world (John 16:33; 2 Timothy 3:12). But the trials and tribulations experienced in this world by believers are backed for the most part by Satan and evil entities. God gives us grace to weather such storms. But in the latter days, a period of seven years of God’s righteous wrath poured out on the earth in judgment will occur (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; Revelation 6-19). Through faith in Jesus, we are saved from God’s wrath and, therefore, believers will not experience the righteous wrath of God on the world during the Tribulation (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9). How will God spare us from this wrath? By rapturing believers out of the world, when Jesus comes for His bride the church, calls them to be caught up to meet Him in the air and takes them to heaven with Him during the seven-year Tribulation period (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
Yes, God is our Protector, and He will not allow believers to be tested or tired in any way that is beyond what they are able to bear in Him. In all the trials and hardships we see the disciples experience in the Book of Acts, God sustains them and protects them in all of them.
The Spirit Acts and Sends an Encourager
The disciples in Jerusalem were initially fearful of Saul. They knew his reputation for being a persecutor. Sometimes the work of God is so awesome that even His people have a difficult time comprehending it. But God works through those, like Barnabus, who are ready and alert to the move and work of the Spirit in people’s lives, so that the work of God is not dismissed or hindered (Acts 9:26-28). It’s interesting that Saul, who is encouraged by Barnabus here, later becomes an encourager himself to other believers (Acts 27:21-26).
Saul persists in ministry, is again opposed and threatened and preserved (Acts 9:29-30). Right from the start, we see that Saul’s ministry stirs up the anger of the religious.
The conversion of Saul is probably just one of the many miraculous conversions of the Spirit in the early church. The Spirit was at work and when the Spirit works the church prospers (Acts 9:31). It’s interesting that after Pentecost it says the Lord “added” new converts to the church, but after persecution it says he “multiplied” people into the church. God blesses even (and sometimes especially) in times of persecution.
Since the terror attack of 9/11/2001 Islam and Muslim people have been on the front stage of the world. Some say that the God of Islam, Allah, is the same as the God of the Bible. This is not true. Some say Christians should not seek to convert or save Muslims because they believe basically the same as do Christians. This is also patently false. Still, some others believe it isn’t worth witnessing to Muslims since they will not accept Jesus as their Savior. Under Islamic law, to convert from Islam to any other belief is a crime punishable by death. In Muslim cities there are places set up for all to see where those who convert from Islam are to be executed. Islam is a religion aimed at world domination.
But it is possible for Muslims to be saved. In the book entitled Unveiling Islam by Ergun and Emir Caner, they share how they, brothers raised in a devout Muslim family, came to be saved through Jesus Christ. They say in their book that despite the “Oprah-tization” (or spirit of syncretism where every religion is tolerated as equally true even though truth claims in the different religions are totally in conflict) it is necessary to share the gospel with Muslims and lead them to Christ to be saved. Can this happen? Can a Muslim be saved? The Caner brothers are living proof that Muslims can be saved. Their testimony shows the power of the Spirit to save.
In their book they describe how the Spirit worked to save them.
Entering high school, Ergun was a typical young man, except that he was a devout Muslim. Even through the divorce, our parents had maintained our rearing in the mosque. Each weekend, we would travel to Broad Street in Columbus, Ohio, where our father had helped found the Islamic Foundation. The mosque in Toledo was too far a drive, so the Foundation Center was established. Father did the call and prayer on occasion.
We did our rakats (daily prayers); we celebrated Ramadan. We read the Qur’an and Hadith regularly. In every way, we were devout, serious Muslims. But our devotion was not an act of love, but of fear. No Muslim has eternal security. Every Muslim fears the scales of justice, which weigh his good deeds against his bad deeds. We were taught that Christianity and Islam were antithetical, stemming from a centuries-old conflict dating back to the Crusades, when Muslims were slaughtered by the thousands.
This history however did not stop Jerry Tackett. Ergun’s best friend in high school, Jerry was the son of a preacher, and an active member at Stelzer Road Baptist Church. Jerry didn’t know all of the history. He simply told Ergun that Jesus loved him and invited him to church for revival services. At Stelzer Road Baptist, the environment was so different from what Ergun had expected. People were warm. They didn’t mock when he stumbled through the hymns. They loved him in spite of his reticence – they literally loved him to the Cross.
After hearing about the saving grace of Jesus Christ, it became evident to Ergun that Islam was wrong about one seminal thing: there was no way that Jesus could have been a prophet, as Islam taught. Jesus was arrested and imprisoned on a dual indictment – the Romans held Him for insurrection, the Jewish leaders convicted Him of blasphemy that is, claiming to be God. Islam, in order to resolve the matter of the Resurrection, teaches that Judas, not Jesus, was crucified, allowing Jesus to appear three days later. Yet even that bit of misinformation doesn’t confront the larger issue of Jesus’ deity. Even extra-biblical history notes that Jesus claimed to be God, an act of blasphemy, which was a capital offense.
To borrow a motif from the Christian philosopher C.S. Lewis, if Jesus claimed to be God, He couldn’t have been a prophet. He could have been insane, like those who wander the streets assuming they are divine. But if He were insane, He couldn’t have been one of Allah’s prophets. He could have been a fraud, deceiving people, but again an imposter and charlatan couldn’t have been a prophet of Allah. Ergun faced one other option: Jesus was who He said He was: Immanuel – God with us.
On that particular night in the revival services, the conviction of the Holy Spirit was palpable. On the next day, a Friday, Ergun returned to the Islamic center a new creature, freed from the scales of fear by grace and the atonement of Jesus. He assumed that other Muslims also wanted to be free of fear. That was not the case.
Ergun’s brothers, however, listened. Erdem accepted Christ in the basement of their home. Ergun then invited Emir to a revival service the following year. There, for the first time in his life, Emir heard that God loved him and desired to have a personal relationship with him. Though he had been to church before, this was the first time he could recall hearing a preacher speak openly and honestly about the exclusivity of the Gospel. Only through the blood of Jesus, spilt on the cross, can someone be saved. Yet the preacher also spoke compassionately about God’s desire to save everyone. Although there was only one way, the path was open for all who would believe. On November 4, 1982, Emir was born again.
In 1982, Ergun surrendered to the gospel ministry. It was the last time he saw our father for seventeen years. Acar [their father] disowned his sons, although it could have been worse: according to Hadith 9.57, all three of us brothers should have been killed.127
This testimony tells us that those we may think are beyond saving are not beyond the reach of the Holy Spirit who seeks to save their souls. Rather than turning away or cowering in fear, or avoiding those who are Muslim, we should tell them about the love of Jesus in the power of the Spirit. The Spirit will use us to save the Muslim’s soul.
We have seen Saul; a devout and zealous religious man who blindly persecuted the church, who was knocked down off his high horse and saved. Seeing that work of the Spirit and considering the modern-day salvation of people like the Caner brothers should give us hope and purpose to be used by the Spirit to save even those who seem beyond saving. We pray God in Christ by the Spirit gives us courage to share the gospel of Christ and be used by the Spirit to save even the hardest-hearted sinner. And that is all to His glory.
The Spirit Acts to Show the True Source and Aim of Healing
The last time we heard of Peter was in Acts 8:25 and, he appears to be an itinerant minister at this point in Acts. Here we again, as we saw earlier (Acts 3:16), we see the true Source of all healing, “Jesus the Christ heals you.” We also see the faith of Peter in making such an assertion. And we also see the aim of the miraculous healing, to point people to Jesus and be saved by grace through faith in Him. Do you need to be healed of some malady? Bring it to Jesus and trust Him to heal.
When the Spirit Acts, Nothing is Impossible
Was Tabitha a Christian? Yes, and this assertion is based on the use of the word “disciple” in the Book of Acts. “Disciples” occurs 27 times in the Book of Acts (Acts 1:15; Acts 6:1, 2, 7; Acts 9:1,19, 25, 26, 38; Acts 11:26, 29; Acts 13:52; Acts 14:20, 21, 22, 28; Acts 15:10; Acts 18:23, 27; Acts 19:1, 9, 30; Acts 20:1, 7, 30; Acts 21:4, 16). “Disciple” occurs 5 times in Acts (Acts 9:10, 26, 36; Acts 16:1; Acts 21:16). Each time, the context associates a “disciple” with being a believer in Jesus Christ as Savior and LORD.
Here again we see the incredible power of the Spirit. Truly, nothing is impossible when the Spirit is acting. Think of the faith the Spirit gave Peter to step out in this way to raise the dead (Acts 9:40). Think of what joy the loving sisters of Tabitha had when Tabitha was presented by Peter as having been risen by the Lord (Acts 9:39, 41). Think of the impact the Spirit made, the encouragement and hope instilled due to this mighty work of the Spirit (Acts 9:42-43). Yes, when the Spirit is sought and relied on to work, when the Spirit is invited to take over a situation, nothing is impossible (Philippians 4:13).
Be Encouraged – Be an Encourager
It’s not an accident that we are introduced to Barnabus, whose name means “son of encouragement” in the last portion of Acts 9. The word “encourage” occurs 7 times in the NKJV translation of Scripture (Deuteronomy 1:38; Deuteronomy 3:28; 2 Samuel 11:25; 1 Kings 22:13; 2 Chronicles 18:12; Psalm 64:5; 1 Thessalonians 3:2). “Encouragement” occurs 6 times (1 Kings 22:13; 2 Chronicles 18:12; 2 Chronicles 30:22; 2 Chronicles 32:6; Acts 4:36; and Acts 15:31). While this is not a frequently used word, we can all attest to the need for and importance of encouragement.
We need to be encouraged. William Arthur Ward, a motivational writer, once wrote, “Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you.” Isn’t that true? Who are the teachers you remember? You may remember a few who hurt you, but don’t you remember those who helped and encouraged you? I do. I was raised in a very dysfunctional home. I was distracted and seldom did my homework. Then, when I went to school, I’d be embarrassed when called upon because I hadn’t studied or done my homework. But I remember schoolteachers who took an interest in me. I remember those who encouraged me. We all need to be encouraged. One of the best ways to leave a lasting and impactful impression on someone is to be an encourager to them.
In the Old Testament, “encourage” (Hebrew hazaq) means to strengthen, to be strong for, prevail, to catch, to fortify, to repair, to establish. In the New Testament, the word “encourage” (Greek parakaleo) means to call near, to come near, to comfort, to speak to, to exhort, to admonish, to console, to strengthen. “Encouragement” is:
Giving someone confidence and courage to do something. Scripture encourages believers to trust in God and to rely on the enabling of the Holy Spirit.128
The phrase “be encouraged” occurs four times in Scripture.
These four “be encouraged” phrases all have one thing in common – THEY ALL INVOLVE FELLOWSHIP. Fellowship is where the hurting find (or should find) encouragement and help in time of need. We need to be aware of that for two reasons:
You might think or say, “BUT I TRY TO HELP OTHERS AND THEY DON’T WANT MY HELP!” Hmmm, when that happens we need to ask “Do they not want my help because they are not ready for it? Or is the ‘help’ I’m offering not helpful?”
Peter put out the mourners before he prayed for Dorcas. Why? Because they were more distracting and disruptive and unsettling than helpful. Sometimes it’s more helpful to be strong and silent and just listen and pray. We know what to do, or not do, in a situation, by listening to the counsel of the Spirit and being sensitive to those we are trying to help.
What are the reasons to be encouraged as seen in this passage?
First, we should be encouraged for the help and protection of our brethren (Acts 9:23-25, 28-30). When our brothers and sisters in Christ stick up for us or have our back, or intervene to protect us, that encourages us.
Second, we should be encouraged even when we are not accepted by our brethren, because God will often send someone to support and help you in the transition to be accepted (BE THAT SOMEONE – a BARNABUS “son of encouragement” – Acts 9:26-27). Such people often become our best friends and special to us. When we betray or gossip or spread negative unloving ideas about those in fellowship, it strikes at the heart of one of the greatest purposes of the church, to encourage. It’s so important we actively encourage or give a kind word and affirm those around us.
Third, we should be encouraged for how God heals through the fellowship of believers (Acts 9:31-35). When God heals, He often does it through the gathering of the fellowship. Fellowship is important. God gathers loved ones around us who care for us, and those heartfelt prayers are the ones God uses to bring healing to the hurting.
Fourth, we should be encouraged for the “beautiful” (Joppa means “beautiful”) way God works to heal (Acts 9:36-43). Notice, Peter put the well-intentioned mourners out before he prayed and sought God’s healing. Then he took a step of faith. Sometimes it’s necessary to protect the hurting from the mournful faithless or simply downcast spirit of others. The Bible speaks of mourning with those who mourn, but an encourager is someone who is strong in the face of difficulty, strong enough for the hurting person to lean on, strong enough to help the hurting take action, a POSITIVE influence. We have to be sensitive to the Spirit and those we seek to minister to in such situations.
We need the Spirit. In all of this we need to follow the leading of the Spirit. The Spirit is Who makes fellowship effectively supportive.
One of the best ways to be encouraged is to encourage others. In this regard, Jesus’ words, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” are to be remembered (Acts 20:35). Therefore, be encouraged by being an encourager. That way everyone wins!
Conclusion
As I was finishing up this chapter and its emphasis on encouragement, I pondered how to illustrate the importance and blessing of encouragement. I prayed, and the Lord reminded me of a section of a book that gave an account of circumstances experienced on a trip to Israel our church undertook. On the trip, a mother and daughter with disabilities who were with us were dealing with some of the rocky terrain in the En Gedi region. The guide questioned whether they should attempt to climb some of the mountainous parts of that leg of the trip. It was a situation that depicted the importance of encouragement and helping one another. Encouragement and helping others open the door to blessing. An account of what happened is provided in a book authored by the mother Zanina Jacento entitled And He Will Life You Up – A Message of Hope in Disability, Depression, or Fear. She writes;
God’s grace was truly heavenly. The day we were to climb Ein Gedi (the mountain where David fled from Saul and wrote many of his Psalms), we also traveled to Masada (where the Zealots stood against Rome). We took a cable car to the top to explore King Herod’s fortress, but there was also quite a bit of walking and hiking. Danielle seemed to be slowing down and struggling a bit. Ben (our tour guide) was concerned.
As he approached me, I could sense his uneasiness, but he posed his question with compassion. “How do you feel about Danielle not making the climb with us? Yesterday I thought she’d be fine with help, but...well...it looks like today might be a tougher day. I can find a nice spot for her and the others who might want to stay back. Maybe you can speak with Danielle to see how she feels.”
The night before, Danielle herself had said she wasn’t sure if she should go. But when I shared Ben’s thoughts with her, Danielle became indignant. “I’m going! Bobby said he and Richie would help me. He said he’d even carry me on his back if I got too tired. Ben can’t tell me I can’t go! I’m going!” At the foot of the mountain, Ben stood before us waiting to give instructions. As the group gathered, he looked toward me seeking information about Danielle and the climb. I mouthed to him, “She’s going,” as I lifted my hands up with a shrug and said, “She’s nineteen. She makes her own decisions.” He nodded in acknowledgment and led us up the mountain.
I couldn’t believe this was the mountain where David and his men hid from Saul. I had pictured something so different when I had read about it in my Bible. I pictured lifeless dust and rock. Ein Gedi is far from lifeless dust and rock. It’s beautiful and lush and green during the rainy season. There are magnificent, sparkling waterfalls at seemingly every turn. There are peaceful, resplendent pools of water for people to swim in and animals to find refreshment. The antelope and camels and other wildlife were all hiding, but we did see a sweet little coney (or rock badger) scurrying among the rocks. It was the perfect stronghold for David and his men!
The view overlooking the Dead Sea was gorgeous. The Dead Sea was nothing like I pictured, either. I thought it would be dark and muddy but it was a beautiful turquoise blue!
The climb was so much fun. It almost seemed effortless. God provided help for each one of us. We walked and climbed and laughed. We encouraged and helped one another all the way to the top and back down again. (And Bobby didn’t even have to piggyback Danielle!) We were truly one body. Danielle’s face radiated with inexplicable joy as she reached the heights. Wow! We were there. We actually made it to the top. It was like nothing we had ever experienced before. Danielle knew—we all knew—that God was with us; that He had done this great and marvelous thing.129
Through encouragement, we, and others, are able to scale mountains and obstacles that on our own, in our own strength, we would not be able to do. But when we open to the Spirit to use us to help and encourage, others are lifted, and so are we.
108 Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
109 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1996.
110 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1996.
111 Jerome H. Smith, editor, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge [computer file], electronic edition of the revised edition of The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1992 by Jerome H. Smith.
112 P. L. Tan Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: [A treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for pastors, teachers, and Christian workers]. Bible Communications: Garland TX, 1996, ©1979.
113 Peter Michelmore, Reader's Digest, October 1987.
114 W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger and William White, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1996.
115 Thoralf Gilbrant, International Ed., The Complete Biblical Library – The New Testament Greek-English Dictionary – Delta to Epsilon (Springfield, MI: The Complete Biblical Library) 1990. p. 660.
116 Chuck Smith, The Word For Today audiotape #8005 (P.O. box 8000 Costa Mesa, CA 92628)
117 E. M. Bounds, The Reality of Prayer, (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids Michigan 1924, reprint 1978) pages 22-23.
118 The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson
119 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1996.
120 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1996.
121 John F. Walvoord, and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
122 Ergun and Emir Caner, Unveiling Islam(Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Pub) 2002. page 18.
123 Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nelson’s Topical Bible Index [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1995.
124 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1996.
125 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1996.
126 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1996.
127 Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner, Unveiling Islam, (Kregel Pub.: Grand Rapids, MI) 2002. Pages 17-19
128 M. H. Manser, Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. Martin Manser, (2009)
129 Zanina Jacinto, And He Will Lift You Up: A Message of Hope in Disability, Depression or Fear (pp. 198-199). Redemption Press. Kindle Edition.
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