Please take a moment and read Philippians 3:4-7 before reading the following article. The conversion of the man named Saul is a powerful piece of evidence that Jesus is a historical figure who truly rose from the dead. What else can account for Saul's amazing turnaround? He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. (cp. Gal.1:14) Then one day, he forsook it all. What were the elements of his conversion? Do they match what we've studied so far in this series?

Faith. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. (Rom.10:13) Jesus appeared and spoke to Saul and he believed in Him as the risen Son of God. Was he converted at this point? If he was, he didn't know it! Acts 9:6 reads, "So he, trembling and astonished, said, 'Lord, what do You want me to do?'" Saul understood there to be more to do regarding his redemption than merely accepting the fact of Jesus' deity. By the way, if he was saved at the point of faith, Jesus didn't know it either. When Saul asked what he must do, the response was as follows: "Then the Lord said to him, 'Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.'"

Some have mistakenly construed that Saul was to go into the city to learn of the apostolic work that was ahead of him. But this interpretation is most unnatural given the circumstances. Besides this, harmoniz-ing the three accounts of his conversion (Acts 9, Acts 22, and Acts 26) makes the proper understanding easy. In Acts 26:12-18, especially, Saul records that Jesus informed him of his future duties right there on the road to Damascus. Whatever, then, was "appointed for (Saul) to do" in the city (Acts 22:10), pertained to his conversion which had to be completed before he could begin his ministry work for Jesus. The point is that he was not yet converted though he now believed in Jesus.

Repentance. Remember that repentance is that element of conversion that involves a change in a person's will. We can see repentance in Saul's newfound desire to do the Lord's will as expressed in his question on the road. Remember also that the decision to do what's right is compelled by godly sorrow. (2Cor.7:10) Such sorrow is seen in the fact that Saul could not even eat or drink for three days having been confronted with his own sinful rebellion. (Acts 9:9)

Confession. In the midst of his penitence, while "trembling and astonished", he referred to Jesus as "Lord" (Acts 9:6). Notice that he used this word with reference to Jesus before (verse 5) but clearly did not know it was Jesus. He used it then out of fear and awe of something that was clearly supernatural. That is all.

But the second time he called him Lord was a verbal acceptance and recognition of Jesus as the supreme ruler of all things. He experienced a change in his allegiance. That's what the element of confession signifies in one's conversion process.

Baptism. Of all the New Testament examples of conversion, perhaps the role of baptism is clearest here. Saul's mission was made evident to him while he was still blinded on that road to Damascus. (Acts 26:12-18) Yet there were still things appointed for him to do that would be made known to him in the city by a disciple named Ananias. (Acts 22:10)

When Ananias came, he reiterated what the Lord had said to Saul on that road but added this key exhor-tation. (Acts 22:14-16) As we have noticed throughout this series, baptism is the element of conversion in which a person's relationship with God has changed. It marks the point in which the sin that sepa-rates one from God is washed away and a new relationship begins.