Daily Devotional Friday 20th March 2020
by William MoodyActs 9:17–22
17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.
Saul Proclaims Jesus in Synagogues
For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.
(ESV)
The Lord did not need to use Ananias for Saul to receive the Holy Spirit. What happens here is unusual (v17), and as with the case of the Samaritan believers (Acts 8 v14-17), this is done so that the new convert would not be isolated. This would have been a particular danger for Saul given his past record of persecuting the church.
When people are converted there is an important role for all believers to work to see these new believers integrated into the life of the church.
In Saul receiving the Spirit we are reminded of what the Christian life is, a life lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. Being a Christian is about God living in us and transforming us day by day.
One of the results of conversion is a new sight. The scales falling off Saul’s eyes (v18) speak of how Saul was now also receiving new spiritual sight. Sin and Satan blind unbelievers, the Spirit and God’s truth give real vision.
Saul’s new spiritual sight was particularly about Jesus as he began to preach about Jesus being the Son of God and the promised Messiah (v20-22).
Have you a fresh knowledge of Jesus that causes you to want to tell others about Him? Pray for a fresh filling of the Spirit to enable this to happen in your life (Ephesians 5 v18).
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