The conversion of Saul is one of our favorites in the book of Acts because it gives us the assurance that everyone is a prospect of the gospel of salvation, even the chief of sinners (). As one author put it, he was “the most zealous and unrelenting opponent of the gospel transformed into its foremost proponent.” We have no doubt that Saul of Tarsus, persecutor and reviler of the church was saved from the sins of his horrible past; the question is when was he saved?

He was not saved when he had the vision. In his defense before his Jewish brethren in Jerusalem, Paul related what he had seen on the road to Damascus (). Though Saul had seen and was made a believer in the resurrected Christ, he was still subject to His conditions of discipleship. He was not saved yet.

He was not saved when he found out he was a sinner. Saul learned that the voice from heaven belonged to Jesus, Whom he was persecuting, and he responded by asking, “what shall I do, Lord?” (). The realization of sin brings about the need to do something about it—either sweep it under the rug or make it right. Saul chose the latter but was not saved yet.

He was not saved when he prayed and fasted for three days (). I can’t imagine what must have been going through his mind during that time—how he had scattered, imprisoned and executed innocent Christians and delivered damaging blows to the cause of Christ. He was so overcome with guilt and humiliation that he devoted himself to the purification of his body and the restoration of his soul through prayer and fasting. His outward expressions of repentance were certainly sincere and contrite, but he was not saved yet.

“How do you know”, you ask? Saul could not have been saved at any of these points because the Bible says that he was still in his sins. Ananias came to him after his vision, after his recognition, after his prayer and fasting and commanded him to “arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” ().

“‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins’” ().

And now, why do you delay? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins and be saved.