A THUMBNAIL SKETCH OF THE GOSPEL
Acts 26:16-18 NKJV
16 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. 17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 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 is now defending himself before King Agrippa. Chapter 26 is a great recap of Paul’s life and how he was once the archenemy of the Church. In our verses for today, Paul is retelling the story of his conversion experience while on his way to Damascus.
In Paul’s account before Agrippa, we get more details regarding what Jesus said to Paul in that dramatic interaction. Jesus said more to Paul on the road than we have previously thought. The Lord told Paul that he was going to be a minister and a witness of what he had seen and what would be revealed to him. And that certainly happened in Paul’s life as he was given some of the most important revelations regarding what Jesus carried out for us in His death, burial, and resurrection.
This is the first time that we hear of Paul being sent to the Gentiles. On the road, Paul was given an assignment to go to the Gentiles. At this point in time, only the Jews and, recently, the Samaritans were given the privilege of hearing the gospel. Being sent to the Gentiles had to be mind-boggling for the man who had been so aggressive in defending Judaism.
Verse 18 is one of the most succinct summaries of what the gospel is about. “To open their eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.” This is what happens when we come to Christ. Our spiritual eyes are open, and we, to coin a phrase, see the light. The light being the light of God’s word because the entrance of His words brings light. When we respond to the truth of God’s word, we are no longer under the authority of darkness. We are no longer under Satan’s authority but have come into the kingdom of God.
In coming to Christ, we receive forgiveness for our sins. We did not earn this forgiveness, which is why Jesus said: “that they might receive forgiveness of sins.” In this short verse, we can find nothing that we do on our own. Jesus is telling Paul what his assignment will be - to go into the world and tell them what has been done in Christ: forgiveness and an inheritance. Paul would later come to understand through divine revelation what our inheritance in Christ is. This inheritance would include our adoption into the family and our being blessed. In our inheritance is healing for body and soul and our deliverance from fear. Our inheritance includes access to God’s wisdom and provision. And our inheritance includes maybe the greatest gift, the Holy Spirit to come and live in us. We have been given an awesome inheritance, and Paul had the privilege of proclaiming this all over the world.
Jesus concludes His assignment to Paul with a revealed clarity of who this is for. All of those who have been sanctified, or set apart by God, through faith in Jesus Himself. So, no longer would the Jews be the only ones set apart by God. This special place would be available to Jews and Gentiles. Anyone who expressed faith in Jesus.
I can only imagine that when Paul first heard these words, he had no idea of their depth or significance. But he would be obedient to this vision, and his words are still blessing us today.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank You for what You did for me. Thank You for turning me from darkness to light and the authority of God. Thank You that I have forgiveness for my sins and an inheritance that will never fade away. And thank You that I am set apart for You and Your kingdom. My faith is in You.