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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
April, 1941
and find grace to help in time of need.” 1. The resurrection also gives posi tive assurance of Christ’s return in pow er and great glory to reign in triumph over the whole earth. Since He has risen and ascended in fulfillment of prophecy, He will descend in glory and return to restore- the paradise that was lost through the disobedience of man. The. empty tomb is the guarantee of the Golden Age, when the kingdoms of this world shall “become the kingdoms of our'Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 11:15). The one is as certain as the other. 8 . The resurrection of Christ con firms, justifies, and warrants the uni versal belief of mankind in everlasting life. Just as men everywhere and always have believed in a supernatural source [ Continued on Page 165] “Jesus” whom he hated? What utter folly! Fourth, in giving directions to Ana nias, the Lord called Saul “a chosen ves sel” (v. 15). Would God speak of an unsaved man like this ? The context adds force to this point. Ananias, know ing well the reputation and character of Saul, could hardly believe anything good about him, and it was necessary for God to reassure Ananias by telling him that the once “evil” persecutor is now “a chosen vessel” to bear the Lord’s name before men. There is some ex cuse for Ananias’ skepticism about Saul’s conversion, but none for us to day with the New Testament in our hands. Fifth, in Paul’s story recorded in Acts 26:16, the. Lord Himself says to him, “Rise, and stand upon thy feet, for I have appeared unto thee . , . to make thee a minister and a witness.” If the Lord appeared on the way to Damascus to make Saul a minister, then he muqj have been converted at that time. God does not make ministers of unregenerated men. Sixth, the address of Ananias to Saul is proof that Ananias was convinced of his genuine conversion, for he said, “Brother Saul” (9:17). And we'may be sure that the testimony of this devout man is worth more than that of any modem theologian who has doubts about salvation through grace. Seventh, one hgs only to read the three inspired accounts of Saul’s con version in Acts 9, 22, and 26, with an unprejudiced mind to see that the mo ment that the great change came into his life was on the Damascus way rather than in the house of Judas.
not come unto you; but if 1 depart, I will send Kim unto you.” The resur rection of Christ 'constitutes the dy namic of the Spirit’s work in and for the believer. 4. The resurrection gives infallible proof of the authenticity, integrity, authority, and inspiration of the Scrip tures. It is the culminating act and crowning fulfillment of every predic tion made relative to the birth, career, character, and mission of the Son of God. As He walked along the Emmaus road, He chided two of His disciples who were slow to believe in His resur rection, by saying: “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the proph ets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory ? . And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he ex pounded unto them in all the Scrip tures the things concerning himself” (Lk. 24:25-27). And during His visit to the affrighted disciples in Jerusalem He showed them His hands and His feet and reminded them that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Him. My faith ac cepts every miracle recorded in the written revelation of God, because I Joyfully accept the supreme miracle, the fulfillment of the many prophecies foretelling the rdising of the Son of God from death to immortal life. 5. The resurrection gives absolute assurance of God’s final approval of the cross and the atoning values of the Sav iour’s death. It is God’s “Amen” to Christ’s expiring cry: “It is finished." It is God’s seal upon the accomplished redemption of mankind. If Christ had not risen from the grave, His cross would have been a place of ignominious martyr dom, and He who died, a mere man. If He had not risen from the dead, He would not have atoned for sin, and the whole world would have been under con demnation to this hour. The resurrec tion is Christ’s victory over all His foes, and God’s vindication of His only begot ten Son. It throws the radiant flood lights of life and love over Calvary, and turns the gloom of the crucifixion into the beauty and joy of the Easter morn ing. The church was purchased by the blopd of the cross, but it was nurtured to maturity by the fact of the empty tomb. To deny the resurrection of Christ is to invalidate the ransoming power of the shed blood, and to deny the super natural existence of the church as a people called out for Himself. “He was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:25). 6 . The resurrection gives profound significance and certainty to the priestly ministry of the glorified Son of God. If He still slept beneath the Syrian stars, we would be without a High Priest inter ceding for us. That would put us back
into OKI Testament conditions and would rob us of the substance of our faith and .give us only the shadow. When the aged Apostle John was on the Isle of Patmos, he saw the heavens opened and “one like unto the Son of man” in all the glpry and' majesty of His heavenly state. The apostle’s marvelous description of the risen and ascended Lord enhances the importance and values of the priestly work of Christ for us. It is the best commentary on the word of the Lord’s apostle: “ Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our' in firmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, When was Saul converted, on the Damascus way, at the coming of Ana nias, or at some time between these two events during his three days without sight? To some it may seem strange that a question of this kind should be raised. But it has been raised, par ticularly by those who preach legalistic schemes of salvation. They base their view on the text in Acts 22:16 where Ananias says, “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Here, they argue, was the moment of Saul’s conversion, and water baptism w a s. one of the means of his regeneration. But 1st us go back to the original account of his experience, and examine the facts. There are several things which prove conclusively that Saul’s conversion took place at the moment he found that Jesus was the Lord, in Acts. 9:15. First, he .“trembling and astonished said, LORD” (v. 6 ). This is precisely the confession of a newborn soul (Rom. 10:9, 10). Second, he said, “What wilt thou have me to do ?” This is exactly the spirit of obedience found in every newborn soul, and utterly absent from the un converted. (Evpn though the question is omitted here in the best manuscripts and in the American Revision, It does occur in Paul’s own story recorded in Acts 22:10, which doubtless led some copyists to introduce it into the original account. Third, Saul did what the Lord told him to do (v. 8 ). This is the action of a' newborn soul. Can you imagine Saul the unregenerated Pharisee going meekly into Damascus at the command of the
When Was Saul Converted? By ÀLVA J. McCLAIN
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