The subject of salvation is the most vital in all of human learning. The eternal destiny of the soul is THE crucial issue of existence. Heaven is so wonderful and Hell is so terrible that to take a blase view is the height of irresponsibility and foolishness. As Jesus said, “what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?”
Sadly, to many this question does not compute. “What do you mean, ‘saved’?” is a common response. Like the bumper sticker that reads “What’s the Question?” This was put out in a response to an earlier sticker which said, “Jesus is the Answer”. It’s an attempt at humour that is not appropriate, for to be ignorant of the purpose of Jesus’ entry into the world is no light thing.
But even amongst those who who understand the need to save their soul, there exists a multitude of ideas about salvation. Luke, the doctor and inspired historian, records the conversion of Saul in Acts 9. In chapters 22 and 26 he relates Paul’s review of his conversion which he made in defending his character and work. When someone is asked when Saul was saved, it is not uncommon for them to say, “When he saw the Lord on the way to Damascus”. A famous country singer sang a song entitled “I Saw the Light”, and many have asserted they have been saved at the time they “saw the light”. But was Saul really saved when he saw the light on the way to Damascus? Irrespective of public opinion, we need to read these three accounts in Acts to learn the truth of the matter.
If Saul was saved on the road to Damascus, he did not know it because he asked “Lord, what do you want me to do?” (Acts 9:6). We can readily deduce that at this time Saul became a believer in Jesus Christ, for who would speak to Someone they did not believe to be there? We can also readily deduce that Saul was willing to respect the authority of Jesus inasmuch as he addressed Him as “Lord” and asked, “What will you have me do?” But was he saved? If he was, what was the significance of the question, “Lord, what will you have me do?”
If Saul was saved on the road to Damascus when he saw the Lord, the Lord did not know it because He told Saul to “Arose, go into the city, and you will be told what you must do”. Certainly this would have been an opportune time for the Lord to have informed Saul of his salvation if indeed he had been saved at this point in the proceedings. And who better to know if a man is saved or not than the Saviour! And if it is opined that Paul would be told of the great commission that Christ was calling him to, a reading of the events show that this was not the case.
If Saul was saved on the road to Damascus, the disciple Ananias, whom the Lord had sent to Saul, did not know for he said to Saul “Why are you waiting, arise and be baptised and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16) Saul believed in Christ. He was a penitent person, as indicated by his actions – neither eating or drinking for three days (Acts 9:9). But the Bible does not teach that fasting brings salvation. Furthermore he was praying during that period (9:11). No alien sinner was ever told to pray for salvation. The Bible knows nothing of the mythological prayer called “The Sinners prayer”. No, this praying, fasting, penitent man was still unsaved because Ananias came telling him to be baptised to wash away his sins. How could sins be washed away if Saul had already been saved? Being saved necessitates the remission of sins (Luke 1:77). To say a man is saved and is yet still in his sins is a gross contradiction of terms.
Finally, Saul himself did not believe that he was saved on the road to Damascus, because he didn’t argue with Ananias! Acts 9:18 says that he got up and was baptised. Later, by inspiration he wrote what he believed on the subject. In Rom. 6:3,4 and Gal. 3:27 he says that he was baptised into Christ. When was Saul baptised into Christ? When Ananias told him to do so. Only in Christ is salvation (2 Tim. 2:10) because that’s where the grace of God is found (2 Tim. 2:1). Statements and concepts of baptism being a public witness to salvation already received are nowhere to be found in Scripture. They are the invention of men who cannot deny the command to be baptised but who do not want it to be a necessary condition for salvation.
It is interesting to note that neither faith, repentance or confession were mentioned in the historical account of Saul’s conversion to the Lord. All accept these, though, are necessarily inferred. Yet the very command that Ananias gave to Saul, that is, to be baptised, remains controversial in the religious world. The Devil is very active in clouding the issue of salvation. When one is saved one is removed from the clutches of the Devil and granted eternal life. This the Devil does not like and does not want. If he cannot stop people believing in Christ, he will do his best to cloud the plan of salvation, so that men will obey something different from the whole counsel of God on this subject, yet all the while believing they have done the will of the Lord. Remember Saul’s O.T. namesake? He returned from the battle with the Amelekites claiming he had done the Lord’s will. But he hadn’t done it all had he, and because he hadn’t done it all he could not claim he had done the Lord’s will (1 Sam. 15).
So many believe that Jesus is the Christ and want to serve Him in this life and enjoy the salvation that he offers for eternity. Many of them have turned from their sins and live morally upright lives, abounding in good works, fully expecting eternal bliss beyond the grave and yet have not been baptised for the remission of their sins and are thus still in their sins. In this the Devil rejoices, but to us and to God this is a great tragedy. So near and yet so far (Matt.7:21-23).