So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ Acts 26:15-18
Paul recounts his conversion to the Lord for King Agrippa. As he testifies of his encounter with the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus. He says something that we don’t often think of when it comes to new converts. Not only did Paul receive a promise of deliverance on day one of his salvation, he also gets clear direction about his ministry and calling — “ I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
Paul was sent to the Gentiles, to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. In doing this many Gentiles received forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ. His obedience to this calling reached you and me, and will touch generations for as long as the world stands. What are you called to do? Paul who was Jewish was sent to minister to the Gentiles after persistently persecuting Jews, with intense zeal in the name of God.
It is amazing to see the Lord instill faith in Paul at the point of his calling. He told him clearly that he was called to be a minister and a witness of the things he had seen — that does not take faith, but it does require faithfulness for you and me to tell others our story, as we testify of our experience with God. The Lord goes on to instruct Paul to speak of things that are yet to be revealed — that takes faith, because we are expected to speak by revelation. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.
When we apply this text to our own lives, we are expected to talk about what we know, and testify what we have seen, and also speak by revelation. Jesus says this in John 3:11 — Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. Jesus also says this in Matthew 10:19-20 — But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
When we put these words of the Lord together, we find that all of us are charged with telling others what we see, while also speaking by revelation through the Holy Ghost. It does not matter if you have been saved for three days, three years or three decades. Our job is to be obedient to our calling, and the Lord will do the rest. In a moment, Paul went from asking ‘Who are You, Lord?’ to receiving knowledge of his life’s work. The Lord comes into our lives to give us purpose; But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose. Are you ready to cooperate with the Lord Jesus in turning people from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God? If we are willing and obedient we too can touch generations to come by declaring our present generation.
There are many people in our communities and the marketplace who are sitting in darkness. We are the light of the world, who the Lord desires to use to bring them out of darkness into His light. We are so grateful to God, because He has brought us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Now that we have experienced His great love for us, let us turn aside to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus who is the Christ.
Maranatha
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