Acts chapter 22. When Paul had
been arrested, he had requested of this Roman soldier, as he
stood on the stairs, he requested that he preach or speak to this
crowd who sought his death. They were determined to kill
this man. If you would look at verse 31
of chapter 21, as they went about to kill him, Verse 36, for the multitudes
of the people followed after crying away with him. They had no good intentions toward
this one Son of God, God's servants. But Paul, desiring to tell them
the truth of salvation in Christ Jesus, verse 40 says, Paul stood
on the stairs and beckoned with his hand to the people, and when
there was made a great silence, He spake unto them in their own
language, in the Hebrew tongue, and he said, Men and brethren,
fathers, hear my defense, which I now make unto you. And when
they heard that he spake in their language, the Hebrew tongue,
they kept them o'er silence, and he said, Here's what he says. We find, once again, God's servant,
Paul the Apostle, in trouble. If you look through his ministry
and his different places that he went, trouble was something
that always accompanied his ministry. Not only trouble, but there was
a tremendous blessing that came with the preaching of the gospel.
But in the preaching of that gospel, it aroused trouble among
those self-righteous Jews over the gospel of Christ alone, grace
alone, Faith alone to the glory of God alone. These who were
seeking to be justified by the law were so offended by God's
grace in Christ, and they were so exposed that they were hiding
in a refuge of lies, they got so angry that they didn't even
think about murdering God's servant named Paul. Sounds familiar? They treated the Lord Jesus Christ
the same way, did they not? I want you to hold your place
there and find Acts chapter 10. Acts chapter 10. They treated
the Lord Jesus Christ the same way. He came to save sinners. Asking those disciples, what
does your master eat with publicans and sinners? And the Lord heard
that and He said, I've come to save sinners. Well, they didn't
want to hear that because they didn't think they were sinners.
He said, I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance. Notice, if you will, in Acts
chapter 10, when Peter stood at the house of the Gentile,
Cornelius, and he said in verse 36, the word which God sent unto
the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, that He
is Lord of all. That word, I say you know, which
was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee
after the baptism John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good. Boy, he did much good. Dead people
were raised. The blind were given eyes. He
healed those who were crippled. He gave salvation, forgave sin. He went about doing good, healing
all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him.
And we are witness of all things which He did, both in the land
of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they slew, hanged on a tree. God raised Him up from the dead. Turn back to John chapter 19.
John chapter 19. They didn't receive Paul's message,
nor did these same religious Jews receive the message of the
Lord Jesus Christ. As they set away with Paul, determined
to kill him, this crowd hadn't changed any. They did the same
thing to the Lord Jesus Christ. In John chapter 19, in John 19,
our Lord said here, For it is recorded, then, verse 10, Pilate
said to him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest not that I have
power to crucify thee, or power to release thee? And Jesus answered,
Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were
given thee from above. Therefore he that delivered me
unto thee hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought
to release him. But the Jews cried out, saying,
If thou let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whosoever
maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore
heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, set him down in
the judgment seat in the palace, in a place that is called Pavement,
but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of
the Passover, about the sixth hour. And he saith unto the Jews,
Unto the Jews, Behold your king. And they cried out away with
him. away with him, crucify him. And Pilate said unto them, Shall
I crucify your king? And the chief priests answered,
We have no king but Caesar. Same treatment. Now stay right
there in John. John 15. Our Lord told those
disciples, and He tells us, not to expect any better treatment
from this religious ungodly world of those who are going about
to establish their own righteousness by their deed. Don't expect them
to speak well of you. As a matter of fact, if they
do, beware. Look what He says here in John
15. Verse 18. If the world hates you, you know
that it hated Me before hated you. Verse 19, if you were of
the world, the world would love his own. But because you are
not of the world, I have chosen you out of the world, therefore
they hate you. Remember the word that I said
unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they
persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept
my sayings, they will keep yours. But all these things will they
do unto you for my namesake, because they know not Him, That
sent me." What an indictment. What an indictment upon them.
God, by His almighty grace, gave Paul liberty to speak to this
crowd. God arrested their attention.
Notice it says in verse 40, there was made a great silence. God
arrested their attention, stopped their mouth, and gave Paul liberty
to preach the gospel and they listened to Paul about God's
saving purpose in Christ Jesus. They listened to him. They listened
to what he said until he came to this statement in verse 21. And he said unto me, Depart,
for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. when they
heard him talk about God sending mercy to Gentile dogs. This is when they were highly
displeased and upset. Now I want you to find that scripture
I told you to write down because Paul elaborates what he says
here in verse 21. So find chapter 26, verse 16. Here's what he said. Now we have
just a synopsis there, but here's what he said to amplify what
was said there in Acts 26 when he's again telling this story
of salvation before the King Agrippa. And he says here in
verse 15, I said, who art thou Lord? And he said, I'm Jesus
whom you persecute, but rise and stand upon my feet for I
have appeared unto thee for this purpose to make thee a minister
and a witness both of the things, these things which thou hast
seen, and of those things in which I will appear unto thee."
Now watch this, "...delivering thee from the people, from the
Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee to open their eyes, to turn
them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto
God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins." This is what all that's
involved, delivering thee to the Gentiles. that they may be
delivered from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive
the forgiveness of sin, and inheritance among them which are sanctified
by faith that is in Christ." Oh, and they heard that! They
said, that's the end. We cannot take any more. And that's when they said, away
with such a man, in verse 22 of Acts 22, away with such a
fellow. from the earth. It's not even
fit for him to walk on this earth. Can you imagine such a thing?
Nothing, now listen to me, I've experienced this, nothing so
arouses the enmity, and I mean by that deep-seated hatred, nothing
so arouses the enmity in an unbeliever, in an unregenerated sinner than
the sovereignty of God in salvation. When it clearly set forth, as
it is in Scripture, that God said, I will have mercy on whom
I will have mercy. I'll have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. So then it's not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but it's God that will show mercy. I tell you, the religious crowd
can tolerate almost anything but the sovereignty of God in
salvation. That He'll have mercy on whom
He will have mercy. They get so upset. I'll show
you two examples of that. Turn back to John chapter 6 this
time. You mean to tell me that God
from eternity chose a people unto salvation and He's going
to save them by His grace and no more? He'll have mercy on
whom He will? That Christ died for the sins
of those people given to Him? That He calls them by His effectual
grace? That's exactly what this book
teaches. Our Lord, when He stood and said
that plainly, in John chapter 6, He says in verse 63, "...the
spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. The words
that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But
there are some of you that believe not." Verse 64, John 6, "...for
Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not,
and who should betray Him." He's the all-knowing God. He said,
and he said, therefore, and he said, therefore said I unto you
that no man can come unto me except they were given him of
my father. Sovereignty declared from that time many of his disciples
went back and walked no more, they quit. These who were appearing
to be disciples, when they heard Him clearly define salvation,
all of grace to flesh, profit of nothing, it's the Spirit,
and no man can come, has the ability, want to, desire. Boy,
a bunch of them quit. They said, we'll not have that. I'll give you another example
of that. Sovereignty of God in salvation. I believe it's so.
This book teaches it. The Lord Jesus Repeatedly. Luke chapter 4, turn there. When the Lord came to His hometown
of Nazareth, and He requested, when He went to the synagogue,
He requested the book of Isaiah. And they brought Him the book
of Isaiah, and He read unto them, the Spirit of the Lord is upon
Me. You remember? He hath anointed me to preach
the gospel unto the poor. He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted."
And so forth and so on. And he said, this day is this
scripture fulfilled in your ears. And he sat down. Well, they weren't
too upset about that. But when he comes down and defines
the sovereignty of God in salvation, notice their response. Look at
verse 24, Luke 4. Verily I say unto you, no prophet
is accepted in his own country. But I tell you the truth. Now
could he do otherwise? He is the truth. But I tell you
the truth. There were many widows in Israel
in the days of Elijah. When the heavens were shut up,
three years and six months, there was a drought. They were starving.
When there was a great famine throughout all the land, but
unto none of them was Elijah sent but unto Sarepta, a city
in Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. You say, well, what's
the big deal about that? She was a Gentile! God singled
her out and had mercy on her and her son. Read on, verse 27. There were many lepers in Israel
in the time of Elisha the prophet. And none of them were cleansed
save this old leper named Naaman. He was a Syrian soldier. And
God had mercy on him. And all they that were, and verse
28, and all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things
were filled with, thank God for his mercy. Look what that says
there. They were filled with wrath,
and rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him into
the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they
might cast him down headlong. But he, passing through the midst
of them, went his way. You see, they sought to kill
him then. when he plainly declared unto them that salvation is of
the Lord by God's sovereign mercy, they got upset. But I tell you what, I know this
is so, and you who believe bear witness to what I'm saying is
the truth. When God is pleased to show us what we are, dead,
defiled, rotten, wretched, guilty sinners, And then God in His
mercy shows us what we are that we're not deserving of the least
of His mercy. And then tells us that He chooses
sinners, and then makes that known to us that we, and then
He gives us love for the Lord Jesus Christ. I tell you, thank
God He elected a people. Had He not chosen me, I never
would have chosen Him. I tell you what, whenever you
find, and check me out on this, Whenever you find a doctrine
of election declared in Scripture, you find right near to it that
of rejoicing. Rejoicing. Paul said, we thank
God, brethren, that God has from the beginning chosen you unto
salvation. We thank God. We rejoice in Christ
Jesus that He's hid these things from the wise and prudent and
has revealed them unto babe. Even so, Father, it seems good
in thy sight. Aren't you glad that He did choose
a people? I would have no hope of mercy
had God not chosen sinners to salvation. Now, Acts 22. We learn several things from
Paul's conversion story about how God saves sinners. How God saves His chosen, His
elect. Paul, as we read in 1 Timothy
chapter 1, he calls this He calls this conversion story a pattern
to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting. The first thing we learn from
this story, as we see in verse 3 down through verse 5, Paul
was very, and old Saul of Tarsus, before he was known as Paul the
believer and Paul the apostle, old Saul of Tarsus was very zealous,
He was sincere, yet he did not know the true way of salvation.
Look what he says there, his own words. He said he was brought
up in Jerusalem. He was brought up at the feet
of Gamaliel, the best-known, well-known teacher, and taught
according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and
was zealous toward God as you all are, and I persecuted this
way unto death, binding and delivering into prison both men and women.
No one could question his zeal. This man was a zealot. He had
a zeal, but not according to... He was ignorant in his zeal. He had an ignorant zeal. He hated the Lord Jesus Christ. He was most religious, but he
was most lost. Turn to Acts chapter 26 again,
and look at verse 9. Acts 26 verse 9, we get a little
bit of insight into how far his hatred toward the gospel had
fermented to. In Acts 26 verse 9, I barely
thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to
the name of Jesus of Nazareth. He hated this one. which thing
I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints that I shut
up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests,
when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
I punished them often in every synagogue. I compelled them to
speak evil." How did he compel them? He probably tortured them.
"...and being exceedingly mad against them. I persecuted them
even unto strange cities." You see how far this man had gone
in his religious lost zeal? Did anybody doubt his sincerity? Oh, he was sincere. Did anybody
doubt his zeal for the tradition of the Father? Oh, he was very
zealous. Turn to Galatians chapter 1. But my friend, The point I'm
trying to make here is this, you can go a long way in man's
religion and the religion of men and the flesh and not know
the truth and not know God and be lost and dead in sin. This is Paul's testimony. Look
what he says in Galatians chapter 1. Verse 13, For ye have heard
of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how beyond
measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it, and profited
in the Jews' religion, above many my equals in my own nation,
being more exceeding zealous of the tradition of my fathers."
He was very zealous. Boy, he had credentials. Turn
to Philippians chapter 3. No one could question his credentials. He was a Pharisee of Pharisees.
going about to establish a righteousness of his own. Philippians 3, look
at verse 4. Though I might also have confidence
in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof
he might trust in the flesh, well, I've got more than him.
I've got more confidence in the flesh. This is Saul before he
met the Master. Circumcised the eighth day, the
stock of Israel. He had a valid circumcision.
He was a tribe of Benjamin's favorite son. Hebrew of Hebrews,
his mama, his daddy, both Hebrews, Jews. As touching the law, I'm
a Pharisee, the chosen one. Concerning zeal, persecuting
the church, touching the righteousness, look what it says here, touching
the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. Oh, that reeks of arrogance and
self-righteousness, doesn't it? This is what Saul of Tarsus was
before he met the Master. All these deeds and doings, his
daily activities, merited nothing but judgment. Judgment before
God. Our Lord said to those Jews in
Luke 16, You are they which justify yourselves before men. God knows
your heart. that which is highly esteemed
among men, God says, it's abomination in my sight." God taught him
and revealed to him he was a sinner in need of salvation. After God whittled him down and
taught him the truth, in that same chapter, in Philippians
chapter 3, he said, I count all my religious credentials as rubbish. and garbage for the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. I can all things but
love that I may win Christ and be found in Him, having His righteousness,
not my own. Now, has the Lord taught you
such things? What we are by nature? that all
of our religious baggage of the past, does it count for anything
to merit or to recommend me to God's favor, God's mercy? Absolutely. It's nothing but garbage. Away
with it. If you would be justified before
God, it must be by grace alone, apart from any contribution on
your part. that were justified freely by
His grace. My friend, do not put any confidence
in the flesh whatsoever. Paul said later on, he said,
we are the true Israel which worship God in the Spirit, rejoice
in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Now
before Saul of Tarsus, he had a lot of confidence in the flesh,
didn't he? He thought he was somebody really getting on, onward
and upward. But after God whittled him down,
he said, I'm nothing. I have no confidence in the flesh. Has God brought you to that point
that you know you're nothing in yourself? That you're a guilty,
vile, wretched sinner deserving of God's wrath, judgment, and
condemnation? You read Psalm 51. And David, the blessed psalmist,
says this, Lord, if you judge me and send me to eternal condemnation,
I'm getting just what I deserve. Has God taught you that? That
you're deserving not of mercy, but of His wrath and judgment. I do pray that God, by His sovereign
grace, that we all may love and look and live upon the Lord Jesus
Christ alone. and trust Him alone for all salvation. That's what Paul is trying to,
you see, as he preaches to his brethren. You remember what he
says in Romans 9? I have a heaviness of heart for
my brethren, for my kinsmen, according to the flesh. They
have religious zeal, but they're lost. He was in the same condition
they were in. And his heart's broken. His heart's
pouring out into them. Don't trust your Judaism! And my friend, don't trust in
yourself. Trust Christ alone for all of
salvation. Now, here's the second thing.
Paul, in defense of the Gospel, declared that all of salvation
is of the Lord. Notice verse 6 in our text. Acts 22, verse 6. And it came
to pass. And it came to pass. As I made
my journey, He was going His merry way in His religious zeal. And as I come near to this city,
Damascus, about noon, suddenly there was shown from heaven a
great light round about me. I fell to the ground. I heard
a voice, a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, Why do you persecute
me? And I answered, Lord, I answered,
Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus of Nazareth,
whom you persecute." Now, several things we see here. He was confronted
in the path of his rebellion. At the point of his rebellion,
he was confronted by the King of kings. by the King of Kings. I'm the Lord Jesus Christ whom
you are in rebellion against. And notice what it says in verse
6, and it came to pass. And it came to pass. It didn't
just happen by chance, fate, or luck. It was by God's purpose
it came to pass. Saul of Tarsus was not seeking
the Lord. Was he? He was seeking murder. He had murder in his heart. He
had hatred in his heart. But I tell you what, God had
an eye on him. The Lord was on the trail of
one of his sheep and he's about to run him down. He's about to
unhorse him. He's about to put him in the
dust. He's about to make his headquarters in the dust and
to break his will and his heart. We see here the invincible, sovereign,
powerful personal call of God. Notice he says in verse 7, Saul,
Saul, why are you in rebellion against me? Why are you kicking
against God's purpose? You see, God calls His own sheep
by name and leads them out. It's a personal, powerful call
of God. Saul. That was His name. We read
through the Scriptures. about a publican named Zacchaeus
up a tree. And the Lord walked by one day
and He said, Oh Zacchaeus, why don't you just come down? No,
He said, Zacchaeus, you make haste and come down. And he came
down out of that sycamore tree. Matthew sitting at the the seat
of customs. And the Lord Jesus walked up
one day and said, Matthew, follow me. And he left everything and
followed the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, my friends, that's why
we don't stand down here at the end of the service and sing 20
verses of Just As I Am and beg you to let God do something.
That's not the God of Scripture. God Almighty speaks in power
to the sheep His sheep, and when He speaks, they answer. Notice
verse 8. Saul, Saul, verse 8, and I answered. I tell you, when God calls, you'll
answer. You'll answer, because God's
call is an invincible call. None resist the sovereign call
of God. He said, My sheep hear My voice,
I know them, they follow Me, and I give them eternal life. Oh, he was bowing in submission,
verse 10, what shall I do? What do you want me to do? I'll
do anything. Thy people shall be winning in
a day of thy power. And I said, I answered, verse
8, I answered, verse 10, and I said, what would you have me
do? What would you have me do? Saul
of Parsis was broken in repentance and submission to his Lord. Now
listen to this, he didn't have a change of methods, He had a
change of masters. He didn't have a change of religion
or reformation. There was a resurrection that
took place. God raised him from the dead
and quickened his spirit and made him alive in Christ Jesus. He didn't have a change of religion,
but a resurrection unto life in Christ. He didn't have a change
of heart. We hear people say, well, give
God your heart. My friend, we need for God to
give us a new heart, to make us new creatures in Christ Jesus. He didn't have a change of heart.
God gave him a new nature, a new will, a new desire. If any man be in Christ, he is
a new creature. Old things are passed away. Well,
he's a new creation. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things have become new. We read this in Ezekiel. Don't turn, let me just read
it to you. A new heart also will I give
you, a new spirit will I put within you. I will take away
the stony heart. Ezekiel 36, 26, if you want to
make note. I will take away that stony heart
out of your flesh and I'll give you a heart of flesh. A heart
that desires God's will, God's truth, God's salvation. God sent
this broken rebel, a gospel preacher. The second thing we see in verses
12 down through verse 16. God sent this man, a gospel preacher. And I'm quite encouraged here.
He sent this man, a gospel preacher named Ananias, to declare unto
him the good news of salvation in Christ Jesus. Look at verse
12. And one Ananias, a devout man, Now who is Ananias? Who is Ananias? He's not an apostle. He's not
a deacon. He's not an elder, a leader in
the church. As far as we know, it just says
he was a devout one. He was a disciple. He was one among many who believed
the gospel. You see, God doesn't break the
pattern in salvation. He sent even Saul of Parsis,
this faithful believer with God's message, but this man was saved
by God's grace. And yet, God didn't send him
Peter, didn't send him John. You'd think somebody special
God would have chosen. Everyone who preaches a gospel,
they are special, specially called of God, with God's message. And one Ananias was sent unto
this one, Saul of Tarsus. Even in the conversion of Paul,
God used these means, the means He has ordained, to call out
His sheep. It pleased God through preaching
to call them that believe. The gospel message was given
through Ananias. And look what he says in verse
14. He addresses him in verse 13, Brother Saul, Brother Saul,
receive thy son. And the same hour I looked upon
him, and he said, the first thing that he says, he preaches to
God of election, God hath chosen thee. He preaches that God is
God and he'll have mercy on whom he will. God has chosen you. Our Lord said to those disciples
in John 15, you didn't choose me, I've chosen you. I've ordained
you. And then he says, God has chosen
thee that thou shouldest know His will. To know His will. What is His will? The will of
redemption. The will of salvation in Christ
Jesus. And then, notice what it says
there, that thou might see the just one. Who is this just one? It's the Lord Jesus Christ. He
is the just one. I want you to find 1 Peter chapter
3. Look at this. He is the just
one. When Peter preached in Acts chapter
3, he referred to the Lord Jesus as the Just One. You've killed
the Prince of Life, the Just One. When Stephen preached there
his dying words, he said, and he preached unto them, the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Just One. He is the Just God and Savior. He's the Just One. 1 Peter 3,
18. For Christ also hath once suffered
for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.
He is the just one. He is the just God and Savior,
that he might be just and justify the ungodly. God hath chosen
thee, that thou shouldest know his will of redemption and salvation,
that you would see thee just one. That's what saving faith
is. Saving faith has eyes to the
Lord Jesus Christ. Looking unto Him, the author
and finisher of our faith. And that you should hear the
voice of His mouth. Not just in word. Find 1 Thessalonians
chapter 4. How do we know we're elect? How
do we know we're chosen of God? Well, have you heard the word
of truth? The gospel of your salvation?
Find 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. that you should hear His voice,
just not words He heard in power. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse
4, Knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God. For our
gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and
in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as you know what manner
of men we were among you for your sake. The gospel comes in
power. The word comes in power. And
then he says, look back to the text again, that you should hear
his voice, the voice of his mouth, and his sheep will hear him.
And then he says, thou shalt be a witness unto all men of
what thou hast seen and heard, that which we believe we speak. To hear his word, his voice,
to be a witness. This is every believer's lifelong
enterprise, to be a witness to the Lord Jesus Christ. to go
and preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And lastly,
look at verse 16, and now, and now, Ananias is speaking to Paul,
and now, and now, you've heard the truth. God has blessed you
to receive the truth. You've heard the truth and now
arise, or having been raised up, because God by His grace
and purpose did raise you up and make you a new creature in
Christ. Now confess that, confess that in believer's baptism and
wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord. Paul gladly
obeyed Christ's command to be baptized. Go into all the world
and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be
condemned. Now my friend, Water baptism
has no saving value. Water baptism has no saving value. Water baptism is not essential
to salvation. But I tell you this, it is essential
to your obedience to His command to believe the gospel. He that
believeth He that hears the gospel, believes it, and is baptized
shall be saved." My friend, if you hear the gospel, and you
say that you believe the gospel, and refuse to confess the Lord
Jesus Christ in believer's baptism, I seriously doubt that you actually
believe the gospel. It's essential to obedience.
Baptism is a proper way to confess our faith in Christ. Look at
Acts chapter 18. We've seen this all the way through
the book of Acts. When Lydia heard the gospel,
God opened her heart, what happened? She was baptized. When the Philippian
jailer heard the gospel, heard Paul preach, what happened? He
was baptized. Here in Acts 18. When Paul went
to Corinth in verse 8, Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue,
believed on the Lord with all his heart. And many of the Corinthians,
hearing, believed. What does that say? And were baptized. Now who is
to be baptized? Believers. To be saved? No. No. Not to be saved. They are baptized because they
have been saved by the blood. atonement of Jesus Christ. The
blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin. Baptism does picture
how sin is put away. It's a picture of a death, burial,
and resurrection of Christ. The blood of Christ cleanses
from all sin. Baptism is a demonstration of
your personal faith and commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. It's
identification with Him and His Gospel. So I say unto you, as
Ann and I said to Saul of Tarsus, why are you tarrying? Do you
believe the gospel? Has God raised you up from the
dead, given you love and life in Christ? Well, then confess
Him in believers' baptism and call upon the name of the Lord.
And it's the blood of Christ that cleanses from all sin. Well,
we know Paul was obedient to that command of God, and he went
everywhere preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.