Acts 25:23-27
At this time Paul had been under house arrest for more than two years. He was accused and arrested in Jerusalem by the influence of the Jewish Sanhedrin. While in Caesarea, he was examined by two Roman governors, Felix and Festus. King Agrippa arrived in the city and Festus desired him to hear Paul’s case as well.
Paul stood before the man whose great-grandfather Herod the great tried to kill Jesus as a baby; his grandfather Herod Antipas (stole his brother Philips wife-Herodias) had John the Baptist beheaded. His father Herod Agrippa 1 had martyred the first apostle, James. Paul stands before Herod Agrippa 2 and his wife Bernice who are brother and sister.
Acts 26:1-11 Forgiven
Acts 26:12-15 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting: These words changed Paul’s world. He immediately understood that Jesus was alive, not dead. He understood that Jesus reigned in glory instead of being damned in shame. He realized that in persecuting the followers of Jesus he persecuted Jesus, and in persecuting Jesus he fought against the God of his fathers. Felix kicked against the goads. Faith in Christ-righteousness–Self control—judgement to come.
Acts 26:16-18 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.
Paul is telling us what Jesus said about why He sent him to the Gentiles. Paul is revealing to us why he was commissioned by Jesus. These words are our battle cry as Christians. These words represent our objectives and our purpose in the spiritual war for the hearts and minds of men and women, and I submit to you that these goals have not changed, even to this day. 5 things
- I am sending you to open peoples’ eyes
- To turn them from darkness to light
- To turn them from the power of Satan to God
- So they may receive God’s forgiveness of their sins
- And receive a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus
I am sending you to them, to open their eyes: At that moment on the road to Damascus Paul was blinded by a great light from heaven. His eyes were not yet opened physically, but Jesus was sending him to open the eyes of others.
Acts 9:17-18 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
Jesus told Paul of four results that would come from the opening of the eyes, because the necessary first step is to open people’s eyes: To open their eyes. This is a statement about people’s understanding. There are some things people need to understand about God, about who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised.
People need to hear the truth of the gospel because that’s the only was that their eyes can be opened. Because until their eyes are opened:
They are blinded and held in darkness, held in bondage by sin unable to see the light of Christ.
They are under the power of Satan, and their sins are not forgiven. And they have no place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus.
1 Peter 2:9: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
30 years ago Chris Athey spoke the truth of the gospel to me and opened my eyes to who Jesus is, and because of that I was able to walk out of the darkness into His marvelous light.
And because my eyes were opened and I was able to walk into the light I was able to turn from the power that Satan had over me to the power of God.
John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Today I have life, abundant life and Satan has no power in my life to steal, kill, destroy and wreak havoc in my life. I now rest in the power of God.
With my eyes wide open, called out of darkness into His marvelous light, changed from the power of Satan to the power of God, having placed my faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, my sins are now forgiven.
Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Hebrews 8:12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
With my eyes open and walking in the light with the power of God having received forgiveness of my sins, today I have a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus.
The very purpose of God choosing Saul and radically changing him to Paul was that he would be instrumental in opening peoples eyes with the truth, turning people from darkness to light, delivering them from the power of Satan, so they could receive the forgiveness of their sins and have a place in heaven among those who have been sanctified.
To be sanctified is to be set apart. Through our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit sets you apart from the bondage of sin, and He sets you apart to serve the true and living God.
- Our purpose is to open peoples’ eyes
- To turn them from darkness to light
- To turn them from the power of Satan to God
- So they may receive God’s forgiveness of their sins
- And receive a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus
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