William Andrew Dillard
In
Bible times, Ananias was a man of God who lived in or near Damascus.
It was to this same man that the Lord appeared in a vision, and gave
to him a very special task to perform.
Ananias was sent to
minister to the most feared prosecutor of God’s people in his
generation: Saul of Tarsus. Ananias knew well the reputation of this
man, and the very reason he had come into the area of Damascus. So,
what did Ananias do that was so right?
To make a longer story
short, he obeyed the Lord! Even though he feared Saul of Tarsus, he
feared God more. Ananias did not know about the Damascus Road
experience of Saul, but he did know his Lord. It was enough for him
that God said “Go to him.” Wonderful things happen when God’s
people listen to the Lord and are obedient to Him.
Ananias would
never have been known by today’s generation except he obeyed the
Lord. He was the human instrument who baptized Saul and whom God used
to restore his sight. Because he obeyed, he became a living part of
the blessed Word of God for all time.
Ananias was not asked to
do a great, near impossible feat. He was asked to simply do the
bidding of his Lord; to do what he could do: but it was something
most others could not do. This is a very important part of the story.
Only John the Baptist originally had the authority from heaven to
baptize. That authority was given to the Lord’s church upon Jesus’
ascension. Others might have dipped Saul in water, but it would not
have been a heaven-recognized baptism, nor would Saul have received
his sight. The Holy Spirit accompanies heaven’s authorized baptism,
and spiritual eyes are opened to spiritual things that the carnal
mind cannot receive. Great blessings flowed from the act of obedience
and that is so right!
Today, many have the attitude: “Let
someone else do it.” God does not want someone else to do it. He
wants His people; His churches to do it. He has authorized no other.
We have opportunity to witness and heaven’s authority to baptize,
and to teach all things Jesus commanded. Because we can do this we
should, no, we must do it. Moreover, when we obey the Lord, great
blessings will come as a result. Folks will be saved. Some will be
baptized. The church will grow, lives will be changed, and glory will
rebound to the Heavenly Father through our Lord Jesus Christ, and
that is so right!
