Jesus shared His good news of salvation to the murderer Paul
When on the road to Damascus Jesus broke into Paul’s journey with a powerful flash of light.
“surpassing the brightness of the sun, shining all around me and those who were traveling with me.”
From out of the sky Jesus appeared and said that He had a new life for Paul, calling him away from torturing and murdering Christians. 1 Jesus personally appeared to Paul and gave Paul a new message for him to be saved, and commissioned him to share with others – the gospel of Jesus Christ: 2
“…that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the [k]power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’ – Acts 26:18
This one short verse contains the Gospel of Jesus: Acts 26:18 NASB 3
“ to open their [spiritual] eyes
…that they may turn
from darkness to light, and
from the power [k Or dominion] of Satan to God,
that they may receive
forgiveness of sins and
an inheritance among those who have been
sanctified by faith in Me.’
Put your faith in Jesus
those who have been sanctified by faith in Me
God wants to to open your spiritual eyes that you might really see Him and see the reality of the spiritual world. When we put our faith in Jesus, He “sancifies” us, meaning He “sets us apart” for the holiness of God.
We are set apart from sin to righteousness. “Positionally” we are made holy before God. Example: It’s similar to the criminal freed by the judge – even though the criminal is guilty of crimes, the judge pronounces him “free”, so that “positionally” before the judge he is “not guilty“.
God cannot have any unforgiven sin in His Holy Presence. Sin never sneaks into Heaven. All who are born again in Christ – we have all of all our sins wiped-out, taken away – “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). Nothing there now in God’s presence – but holiness! That is because “up there” we have new bodies, new everything, and no temptations, no weaknesses… no sin. And we are forgiven forever.
Jesus says to turn
from darkness to light, and
from the power [k Or dominion] of Satan to God,
To “turn” is to “repent” – to turn around and go the other way. When we do that, we turn around, from our way, to His Way — to Jesus, for His salvation. When we repent, we turn from darkness to light.
The light of the world is Jesus
There is no other like Jesus. Jesus said “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).
“I am the Light of the world.
He who follows Me
will not walk
in the darkness,
but will have the Light of life.”
If we have accepted Him, then He is in us (“He” – the Holy Spirit is in us: John 16:7; whereas in actuality Jesus physically ascended up to Heaven “to prepare a place” for us: John 14:verses 1-2.)
Darkness is: all the evil that is in the world. Jesus calls us out of that darkness. We might fall into a sin, but we do not “practice” sin. Read: Playing With Sin
Jesus is calling us to turn from the evil
– to the light of His presence, to the new life of forgiveness that is made possible by Jesus.
When we repent, we: turn from the power of Satan — to God. All that are in the world are under the power of the ruler of this world, Satan. Only Jesus can release us from Satan’s grip.
In Christ we are preserved by the powerful name of Jesus. No hand can touch us except He allows it.
Turn… and we receive (Acts 26:18)
1. forgiveness of sins and
2. an inheritance (among those who have been sanctified)
3. and we are “sanctified” – receiving a new life in Christ where we are set apart to Him,
“sanctified by faith” in Jesus
Only Jesus saves sinners. And He saves us for all eternity – starting from that moment in time when we “turn….” Believers then begin growing in their new natural life in Christ.
FOR MORE:
Being 100% given-over to Jesus
Jesus can save your soul for all eternity
Bought with a price—the blood of Jesus
Growing into our natural new life in Christ
Footnotes
- Acts 26:Verses 14-17
14 And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice in the Hebrew dialect (Jewish Aramaic) saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? [c]It is hard for you to kick [repeatedly] against the [d]goads [offering pointless resistance].’15 And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
16 Get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for this purpose,
to appoint you [to serve] as a minister and as a witness [to testify, with authority,] not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you, 17 [choosing you for Myself and] rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you.
- We all have been given a similar commissioning – to represent Christ on earth as His ambassadors.
2 Corinthians 5:20
“So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us; we [as Christ’s representatives] plead with you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God”. - Here it is in the Amplified version:
18 to open their [spiritual] eyes
so that they may turn
from darkness to light
and from the power of Satan to God,
that they may receive forgiveness
and release from their sins
and an inheritance
among those who have been
sanctified (set apart, made holy)
by faith in Me.’ – Acts 26:18 Amplified.
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