“May God bestow on us His grace, with blessings rich provide us,
And may the brightness of His face to life eternal guide us
That we His saving health may know, His gracious will and pleasure,
And also to the heathen show Christ's riches without measure
And unto God convert them.”
God has empowered certain men throughout the ages to join His mission of converting non-believers into believers in God.
One day, Paul the Apostle was making an offering to the Lord when persecutors of the Christian faith, seized him, dragged him out of the temple, and started beating him. A garrison of Roman soldiers rescued Paul from his attackers, but the soldiers also bound him with two chains. As the soldiers carried Paul to safety, Paul asked the commander for permission to speak to the crowd. Miraculously, the commander allowed him to do so. [1]
Paul testified of his conversion experience to Christ. Some of Paul’s listeners had probably seen Jesus of Nazareth crucified in their city. Paul explained how Jesus appeared to him when he was on his way to arrest followers of Jesus. He explained to the crowd how he was blind for a time until Jesus sent one of His disciples (Ananias) to him, and restored his sight…
“Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the Law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there.” [2]
It is easy for us as readers to glide over the words, “certain,” “devout,” and “having a good testimony with all the Jews who dealt there.” Living as that certain person in this world filled with temptations and evil is not easy. Ananias had a high regard for God’s Words. He measured his thoughts and actions against what he learned from God via God’s Word. All the Jews in his surrounding area knew of his devotion to God.
“[Ananias] came to me [Saul of Tarsus]; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him.” [3]
Praise God for physical and spiritual eyesight! It is a blessing to see the person in front of you. It is very wonderful to have your eyes opened to God! To know that He does exist, that He knows your name, and that He has a divine purpose for your existence on earth!
“Then he [Ananias] said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.” [4]
God chooses whom He wills to serve Him. At first Ananias had questioned God’s choice. He said to God, “Lord, I have heard from many things about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your Name.” [5]
Was God sending Ananias to his death? No, the Lord was sending him to serve a man whose life would impact the people of our world for many generations.
The Lord said to Ananias, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My Name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My Name’s sake.” [6]
The Lord was bringing about the transformation in Saul’s life so that people of future generations could see what Christ does in the life of someone whom He anoints with His Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit transformed a persecutor of the Name of Jesus into a proclaimer of His Name. Saul’s ministry was not going to be bound by what the majority of believers consider a reasonable service unto God. No, he would teach, preach and persuade non-Jews, kings and his own people the Jews to believe in and serve Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
“You [Saul] will be His [Christ’s] witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the Name of the Lord.” [7]
Thanks be to God for leaders who speak directly from God to people and say to them, “You are witnesses for Christ! What are you waiting for? For lightning to strike? No, get right with God! If you haven’t yet been baptized, be baptized! Wash away your sins by repenting of them before God and by asking Him to forgive them and to help you not to sin anymore. Call upon His Name, the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He can change your life as He did Saul’s and make you a part of His global mission to present the Gospel to the whosoever’s of the world.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” [8]
[1] Acts 21:26-40
[2] Acts 22:12
[3] Acts 22:13
[4] Acts 22:14
[5] Acts 9:13-14
[6] Acts 9:15-16
[7] Acts 22:15-16
[8] John 3:16
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