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The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 3
The disciple, obedient to the direction of the angel, sought out the
man who had but recently breathed out threatenings against all who
believed on the name of Jesus. He addressed him: “Brother Saul, the
Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest,
hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight and be filled with the
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Holy Ghost; and immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been
scales, and he received sight forthwith, and arose and was baptized.”
Christ here gives an example of his manner of working for the
salvation of men. He might have done all this work directly for Saul;
but this was not in accordance with his plan. His blessings were to
come through the agencies which he had ordained. Saul had something
to do in the line of confession to those whose destruction he had
meditated; and God had a responsible work for the men to do whom
he had authorized to act in his stead.
Saul becomes a learner of the disciples. In the light of the law he
sees himself a sinner. He sees that Jesus, whom in his ignorance he had
considered an impostor, is the author and foundation of the religion
of God’s people from the days of Adam, and the finisher of the faith
now so clear to his enlightened vision; the vindicator of the truth, and
the fulfiller of the prophecies. He had regarded Jesus as making of
none effect the law of God; but when his spiritual vision was touched
by the finger of God, he learned that Christ was the originator of the
entire Jewish system of sacrifices; that he came into the world for
the express purpose of vindicating his Father’s law; and that in his
death the typical law had met its antitype. By the light of the moral
law, which he had believed himself to be zealously keeping, Saul saw
himself a sinner of sinners. He repented, that is, died to sin, became
obedient to the law of God, had faith in Jesus Christ as his Saviour,
was baptized, and preached Jesus as earnestly and zealously as he had
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once denounced him.
The Redeemer of the world does not sanction experience and exer-
cise in religious matters independent of his organized and acknowl-
edged church. Many have an idea that they are responsible to Christ
alone for their light and experience, independent of his recognized
followers on earth. But in the history of the conversion of Saul, impor-
tant principles are given us, which we should ever bear in mind. He
was brought directly into the presence of Christ. He was one whom
Christ intended for a most important work, one who was to be “a