Last time we saw Saul’s conversion experience. On his way to Damascus to persecute Christians, a bright light from heaven knocked Saul to the ground. He heard the voice of Jesus Christ speak to him asking why He was persecuting Him. We saw the beginning of Saul’s conversion experience. Saul was blinded so they led him to the city of Damascus. He was blinded for three days—three days to think things through, three days to wonder why Christ chose him, and three days to listen for God’s will.
Was it during those three days that Saul was converted? Whenever it was, as a new convert, he had certain needs. Any person that has just come to Christ has many needs. We are going to use Acts 9 verses 10-18 to see what the Bible says about these needs and how we, as Christians can help to supply those needs.
READ verses 10-15. This new convert, Saul, needed help from a very special believer. This special believer doesn’t appear to be an apostle, or a deacon, or an ordained minister. The believer was a simple unknown disciple named Ananias. The traits that Ananias possessed were exactly what were needed by the new convert, Saul.
1. First, Ananias was sensitive to God’s call. When God spoke to Ananias, he listened. He was sensitive and aware of the familiar voice of God. He was a man of much prayer. So, when God called him, he knew the voice of God and he answered. That’s one of the things that a new convert needs—the ministry of a disciple who knows the voice of God. He needs to learn how to be sensitive to the call and direction of God.
2. Second, Ananias was willing to face difficult assignments. Reaching out to help a new convert is never an easy thing to do. It’s a big responsibility. The more depraved the convert has been, the more difficult the task becomes. This was true with Saul. It’s true with most new converts.
In dealing with a new convert, there is always some apprehension. The new convert is somewhat unknown and to some degree a stranger and a novice in the faith. For instance, there is difficulty for the seasoned believer:
• Of learning where the new convert is in spiritual and Biblical understanding.
• Of learning where that person is emotionally.
• Of knowing what to teach, where to begin, and what pace to teach.
• Of determining how much time is necessary to disciple him.
• Of being on guard against becoming a stumbling block because the new convert is always watching and observing the teacher’s life.
The new convert watches the seasoned believers for an example of how to act. They look to the believer as an example of how to love and not be critical and judgmental. There is also the difficulty of the believer of protecting the new convert from returning to the world, of returning to his former life of sin.
3. Third, Ananias was willing to be the answer to prayer. Note how God assured Ananias. God told Ananias that Saul was praying: he was truly a new convert, seeking God’s face. He was broken and trembling and apprehensive. Wouldn’t you be? How would you feel:
• Right after this sudden appearance of Jesus.
• If Jesus reminded you of how you have rebelled and opposed the Lord.
• If Jesus told you to wait for God’s Word instructing you what to do.
• After begin stricken with blindness in an instant.
God told Ananias that Paul had been given a vision—very clear assurance—that a believer (specifically named Ananias) would come and help him.
And the point is this: The new convert who is genuine, prays for help. He prays for God to send mature believers into his life who will help him to grow and to know the Lord’s Will for his life. It’s the mature believer himself who becomes the answer to the new convert’s prayers.
God still needs believers today who reach out to help those who are new in the faith. He needs believers who will stand in the gap and become the answer to the prayer of new converts. You say, “Yeah this might sound good in theory, but the new believers don’t really want to be bothered and pressured by seasoned believers.”
All converts who are genuine want to grow in the knowledge of the Lord. They long for believers to befriend and help them. It’s up to us to become the person, the believer, the answer to their prayers. There is no one else except us.
The very thing Saul (and all other converts) needed was the help of a disciple who knew what it was to feel inadequate and apprehensive. All new converts (just like Saul) have to face difficult tasks all through life, tasks that demand God’s grace. A believer who senses this inadequate feeling in new believers can teach the new convert to trust and depend upon God.
Ananias was willing to obey when God said go. The new convert needs an obedient believer helping him. He would be helpless and most likely ruined if the believer was not obedient. To obey is to believe, and to believe is to obey. To love is to believe, and to believe is to love. 1 Sam. 15:22 says, “To obey is better than sacrifice.”
READ v. 15-16. Saul needed to know, as a new convert, that he was a chosen instrument of God. The person who is a new convert needs to know that they are not to be knocked over and broken, or cast away, or neglected and ignored. They need to know God has chosen to use them in His work and service.
When God chooses you to be a new convert, he chooses you to carry the Lord’s name. And as a new believer, you need to know that you are to carry the Lord’s name in your heart and in your behavior and actions. Once again, as a reminder, when you accept Christ, the HS indwells you. Your body has become the temple of the HS. That makes you precious in the sight of God and you are counted as a dear child of God. You are a member of the family of God.
The new convert also needs to learn that:
• He is to deny self, and take up his cross daily.
• He is to deny ungodliness and worldly lust; to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world.
• That he is to offer his body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.
• That he isn’t to give up meeting together with other believers, but to seek their fellowship. That means they need to learn to go to church regularly.
• He needs to seek God in all things and to conform his life to Christ.
• He needs to carry the Lord’s name in witnessing. He needs to learn that it is now his job as well to tell others about Jesus, not just the preacher’s job.
• That he is to reach and help all those he can, ministering and meeting their needs in the love of Christ. Wherever he is, he is to witness and help others; at work, at play, at school.
• A believer is chosen by God to suffer for the Lords’ name. Every true believer is abused and suffers at the hands of the world. Christ has forewarned new believers that they will suffer persecution. The new believer needs to know this. Saul needed to know this.
READ v. 17-18. So here is Saul, a new believer and he needed four things (as do all new converts.)
1. He needed the touch of a disciple’s hand and faithfulness. He needed the presence of some disciple who was faithful enough to come and touch his life. He needed to see faithfulness in action. Nothing could help Saul more than seeing the faithfulness of a disciple reaching out to help him in his need.
2. The second thing Saul needed was to recognize that he was now a brother in the Lord. Ananias called Saul “brother.” This one word probably caused Saul to break out in tears. He was being reached out to by a believer of the Lord, accepted, and welcomed into his heart despite the terrible wrong he had done to the believers.
He now had confirmation. He had been forgiven and received by the Lord. He had been accepted by God and he was beloved in the name of Jesus, the same name he had abused and hurt so much in the past. Yes, he needed to hear a child of God call him brother. And now he had heard it.
3. Saul also needed the power of the healing ministry. Saul was struck with blindness. He needed Ananias to help him in his affliction. He needed his eyes healed, his sight restored, and God used Ananias to do it. The scales of darkness and sin and shame had been removed from his heart.
4. Lastly, Saul needed the sharing of the Holy Spirit’s infilling; the power of the Spirit. Let’s close with this thought.
Was Saul saved on the Damascus road or when he was infilled with the Holy Spirit? That question is still debated among scholars. Note exactly what the Scripture says. As I said last time, Saul called Jesus “Lord.” (v.5) But Saul didn’t know who was speaking to him out of the light. Saul was asking but he knew the light and the voice were from heaven.
Saul knew something. Whoever was speaking was of heaven. He knew it was bound to be just who He said, “The Lord.” He knew it was the Lord in the same sense that Cornelius did (Acts 10:4), not knowing God personally, but knowing that it was the Lord God of heaven.
Note also that the Scripture says in v. 11 that Saul prayed. He spent 3 whole days in prayer. Keeping in mind how shattered Saul was, one really has to stretch the imagination to say the he was not saved. Did you notice that it was the Lord who told Ananias that Saul was praying? So his praying must have been acceptable to God.
In v. 12 the Lord gave Saul a true vision. How can one say he wasn’t saved at this point?
With all that said, the evidence is strong that Saul surrendered to the Lord on the Damascus road. It was there that the Lord entered his heart and life. And he was going to experience the need for many infillings of the HS in the future; the need existed when Ananias visited him.
So God infilled Saul with the HS then—the first of many endowments of power that were to come upon him.
Even though Saul’s name is not changed until later (Acts 13:9), he was changed from the inside, to receive the greatest commission and calling a man could receive. He was called to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.
This man who had once persecuted Jesus became the greatest missionary who ever lived and his life has touched the life of every man since that day.
