It is believed by this student of the Bible that some of the conversion accounts in the book of Acts contain the entire Plan of Salvation in both inferred and direct statements. Last month we looked at the Conversion of the Pentecostians in Acts 2. In this study we will examine the Conversion of Saul (Paul) in Acts 9. As the chapter begins Saul is persecuting the disciples of the Lord indicating that he had heard at least some of the teaching of “that way” (9:2). As the light shined around him and in response to Jesus’ question, Saul asks “Who art thou, Lord?’ Saul is addressing the one in front of him with respect. The response comes to Saul “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest…” Upon hearing that, the Biblical record says that Saul was “trembling and astonished.” This is surely belief on the part of Saul. Saul must have thought “These disciples of the one called Christ had been right. He had risen from the grave. He was alive. How could Saul have missed it?” In spite of all the eye and ear witness testimony Saul had been given he had persecuted these people and even worse Jesus said when Saul had persecuted them, he had persecuted Jesus. He had thought he “ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth” (Acts 26:9). He had been sincere, but had been sincerely wrong.

The next words recorded from Saul were “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” Saul this time undoubtedly uses the word “Lord” in an entirely different sense than he had previously. Before Saul had addressed an unknown stranger and had spoken respectfully. Now in the presence of the risen Messiah he uses the term in the sense of one with authority, my Lord and Master. This would indicate confession at this point, hard to miss with the resurrected Son of God standing before one. Saul additionally says “what wilt thou have me to do?” This indicates Saul’s readiness to repent, to change his will to the will of the Savior.
Before proceeding further I wish to make the following point. It is not my intention to imply that it would take a personal appearance of Jesus Christ today in order to bring about belief, confession, and repentance. The purpose of Jesus’ personal appearance to Saul was to qualify him as the last apostle of Christ, see Acts 1:22. In the other conversion accounts in Acts there is no personal appearance of Jesus to bring about conviction or conversion and in fact today we have even more compelling evidence of the Gospel message in the inspired words of the New Testament. Saul was convicted on the road to Damascus by the evidence before him confirming the testimony he had heard. Today we have the evidence of the multiple miracles and testimony of multiple eye and ear witnesses. See John 20:30-31.
Saul in hearing, believing, repenting, and confessing on the road to Damascus had surely been convicted, but he was not yet converted. Jesus said for Saul to “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” There was something more, a must, a requirement. Saul spends three days fasting and praying (again, penitence) and the Lord sends a man named Ananias to Saul and he “arose, and was baptized.” (9:18)
In this account we have the entire plan of salvation presented that all accountable people are required to obey to have their sins forgiven.
Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess, and Be Baptized for the forgiveness of sins.

– Jerry Sturgill

Ephesians 1:5 says that God has, “…predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” In Roman law, when one was adopted, a new relationship began with the adoptee and the head of the family. The father who adopted would cancel all the debts of the one whom he adopted, but also from that time would own all the property of the one whom he adopted. The Father had the right to discipline the adoptee, but was also liable for any actions of the adoptee.

Isn’t this a great parallel to the gracious character of our Heavenly Father? He chose to adopt us as children according to the pleasure of His will (Eph. 1:5). He cancels our debts, but also owns all we have. He disciplines us, but what we do as a child of His is a reflection of Him to the world. While Ephesians 1 is not teaching that we had no choice in the matter, it is focusing on the fact that God decided “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4), to work out a means to bring us into the family privileges that we now have as children of Him. We ought to be so thankful that God chose to do this, because we could not afford these blessings on our own.

As children of God, all spiritual blessings are available to us in Christ (Eph. 1:3). We are accepted (Eph. 1:6), because we have redemption and forgiveness through the blood of Christ (Eph. 1:7). As children of God, we share in the wisdom He passes to us through the teachings of the Spirit through the first-century apostles and prophets, recorded in the pages of the Bible (Eph. 1:17-18; 3:2-6).

Since God has been so gracious to cancel our debts and bring us into a new relationship with Him, we should reciprocate that love by walking according to His commandments. We are children of God; thus, we should act like our Father. Ephesians 5:1 says, “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.” This means that we should abstain from participating in the sins of the world. Ephesians 5:11 says, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” If you have been adopted into the family of God through the new birth (John 3:5; Eph. 5:26), then remember to focus on the spiritual blessings you have now and the great inheritance you have because you are a child of God (Eph. 1:18). Don’t forfeit these blessings for anything the world may offer.

-Mark Day