Acts 22:12-16
12 “Now a certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,
13 came to me, and standing nearby he said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I looked up at him.
14 And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear a message from His mouth.
15 For you will be a witness for Him to all people of what you have seen and heard.
16 Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins by calling on His name.’
Paul’s Defense (4)
Is baptism a condition for salvation?
Before moving forward, let’s address following two questions: (1) Is baptism a condition for salvation? (2) What is a mystery? Acts 22:16 states: “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins by calling on His name.” How should we understand this verse? (1) Baptism is not a mean to receive forgiveness of sins. It is for those who have already been forgiven through faith and is done in obedience to the command of the Lord Jesus. (2) In Paul’s case, he was already saved at the moment he encountered and believed in the resurrected Jesus. (3) “Wash away your sins” is a symbolic expression. (a) Baptism is a symbolic act representing union with Jesus. (b) Baptism is a symbolic act signifying the cleansing of sins. (4) One is saved by grace through faith. Baptism is not a condition for salvation, but it is an essential step for walking faithfully as a disciple of the Lord Jesus.
What is a mystery?
Ephesians 3:3-6 says, “That by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before briefly. By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to mankind, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (1) Paul became an apostle to the Gentiles through revelation. (a) The message Paul proclaimed was a mystery, also revealed through God’s revelation. (b) A mystery refers to a truth that was previously hidden but has now been made known through revelation. (2) The content of the mystery is as follows: (a) Through the gospel, Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus. (b) Paul was able to boldly proclaim the gospel, even in the midst of trials, because he had the conviction that it was a revelation given by God. We are called to be fellow heirs in Christ Jesus. The goal of the Christian life lies within this calling. Those who have confidence in this truth can overcome trials. We are called to blessings beyond human imaginations.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank You that I, too, am called to be a fellow heir in Christ Jesus. Today, I will walk with confidence in this truth. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.