The apostle Paul declared to Agrippa that the Lord Jesus Christ had appeared to him and made him a minister of the gospel so that he might be an instrument in the hands of God for the salvation of chosen sinners (vv. 16-18). We recognize, of course, that salvation is not caused, accomplished, or dependent upon preachers. Salvation is God's work. "Salvation is of the Lord" (Jonah 2:9). It is the gift of God (Rom. 6:23). It is the work of his grace (Eph. 2:8-9). But, "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (I Cor. 1:21). Gospel preachers are instruments in the hands of God by which he saves his people. Salvation is not accomplished by preachers; but neither is it accomplished without the instrumentality of gospel preachers (Rom. 10:13-17; James 1:18; I Pet. 1:23-25). God, who ordained the salvation of an elect multitude, ordained the salvation of that elect multitude through the instrumentality of gospel preaching (II Thess. 2:13-14). Though the Ethiopian Eunuch was chosen of God and redeemed by the blood of Christ, he could not understand the Scriptures and obtain God's salvation by faith in Christ until he came into contact with a God-sent preacher who "preached unto him Jesus" (Acts 8:26-39).

Preachers must never be exalted to a priestly roll. We have no priest but Christ. There is no merit or efficacy in any preacher to illuminate, convert, forgive, or sanctify anyone. No preacher can give sinners life and faith in Christ. That is the work of God the Holy Spirit. Yet, God's method of grace and his chosen instruments of good must not be despised. God's ordained means of grace is the preaching of the gospel of Christ. No sinner will ever obtain divine illumination, conversion to God, the forgiveness of sins, sanctification, and faith in Christ apart from the preaching of the gospel. Therefore, those men who faithfully preach the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace in Christ are to be loved and highly esteemed for their work's sake (I Thess. 5:12-13; Isa. 52:7). Salvation comes to sinners by faith in Christ; and faith in Christ comes by the preaching of the gospel. In the verses under consideration, the Holy Spirit records seven things God does for sinners when he saves them by his almighty grace through the preaching of the gospel. When God saves a sinner...

First, HE OPENS THE EYES OF THE BLIND. All are spiritually blind by nature, totally ignorant of the things of God. But when God saves sinners, he sends a man to preach the gospel to them in the power of the Holy Spirit, "to open their eyes." The preacher cannot do the work. Only the Holy Spirit can open spiritually blind eyes (John 3:3; I Cor. 2:9-14; II Cor. 4:6; Eph. 1:17-18). The preacher is merely the instrument of illumination. He holds forth the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in Christ. When God opens a sinner's eyes he sees himself as a sinner, justly condemned (Psa. 51:4; Job 43:5-6; Isa. 6:1-4; Rom. 3:19; 7:9), and utterly incapable of justifying himself (Job 9:20, 30-33). God shows men their need of a substitute. Then he shows them the glory of Christ as the sinner's Substitute (Rom. 3:24-26).

Second, IN SALVATION, GOD TURNS THE WICKED "FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT AND FROM THE POWER OF SATAN TO GOD". Conversion is the proof of election, redemption, regeneration, and the effectual call. It is the work of God. True, believers turn to God with willing hearts, but only because they have been turned by God (Psa. 80:3, 7, 17; 85:4; Lam. 5:21). Conversion is a heart work. It is more than a reformation of life. It is a turning of the heart to God. "Conversion", wrote Joseph Alleine, "is a deep work, a heart work. It goes throughout the man, throughout the mind, throughout the members, throughout the entire life." And conversion is a lifelong work. It is the commencement of a lifelong devotion to God. Believers are described by Peter as those who are continually "coming" to Christ until, at last, they come to him in heaven (I Pet. 2:4).

Third, IN SALVATION, GOD GRANTS TO CHOSEN SINNERS "THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS". This is what convicted sinners want and need above all else. It is the first thing desired of God. The first prayer of every saved sinner is the prayer of the publican, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." The sweetest words ever heard on earth are the words of Christ, spoken to repenting sinners, "Thy sins be forgiven thee!" Guilt is terrible. Forgiveness is glorious! God's forgiveness of the believer's sins is A FAITHFUL FORGIVENESS promised in the covenant (I John 1:9; Jer. 31:34), A JUST FORGIVENESS purchased, secured, and demanded by the blood of Christ (Eph. 1:6), A FULL FORGIVENESS, including all sin, past, present, and future (Isa. 43:25; 44:22), and AN EVERLASTING, IRREVOCABLE FORGIVENESS (Rom. 4:8; Jer. 50:20). Once bestowed, it can never be denied or taken away. This forgiveness cannot be purchased with money or earned by the merits of good works. It is the free grace gift of God, received by the hand of faith. Trusting Christ, sinners obtain "the forgiveness of sins".

Fourth, IN SALVATION, GOD BESTOWS UPON FORGIVEN SINNERS AN ETERNAL INHERITANCE OF GRACE AND GLORY IN CHRIST, an "inheritance among them which are sanctified." This inheritance is something we enjoy now, for Christ is our portion now, and in him we now possess all the blessings of grace (Eph. 1:3). But Paul's reference is obviously to the believer's eternal, heavenly inheritance. All who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are "heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17). It is an inheritance of grace. It belongs to every child of God equally and completely. There are no degrees of reward in heaven! How can anyone who believes in salvation by grace alone imagine that some part of heaven's glorious inheritance is earned or lost by works, or the lack of them? Heavenly glory is simply the climax and completion of saving grace.

Fifth, WHEN GOD SAVES SINNERS, HE COMPLETELY SANCTIFIES THEM BY HIS GRACE. The Lord Jesus declared to Paul that, just as we are saved and forgiven by faith, we are "sanctified by faith that is in" him. Most people foolishly imagine that sanctification (holiness) is a matter of progressive effort and work. It is not! Sanctification is altogether the gift and work of grace, received by faith in Christ. We were separated unto God in holy election (Jude 1), declared to be holy by the blood of Christ in justification (Heb. 10:10-14), and given a holy nature by God the Holy Spirit in regeneration (II Pet. 1:4; I John 3:9). We grow in grace, love, faith, etc. Every living thing grows. But we do not grow in holiness, righteousness, and sanctification. Our standing before God never varies. We are perfect and complete in Christ (Col. 2:10).

Sixth, IN SALVATION, GOD GIVES SINNERS FAITH IN CHRIST. The Lord Jesus declares that all these blessings of grace are "by faith that is in" him. This faith is the gift of God, the operation of his grace (Eph. 1:19; 2:8; Col. 2:12; Phil. 1:29). Faith is not the cause of grace, but the gift of grace and the evidence of grace (Heb. 11:1). And this faith is created in sinners by the power of God the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the gospel (Rom. 10:17).

Seventh, WHEN GOD SAVES A REBEL, HE MAKES HIM A WILLINGLY OBEDIENT SERVANT, as he did Saul of Tarsus (v. 19). Grace conquers the heart, subdues the will, and makes those who naturally hate God (Rom. 8:7) willing servants of God. Believers bow to Christ and gladly take his yoke upon them (Matt. 11:28-30). Where there is no surrender to the rule of Christ as Lord there is no faith in Christ as Savior (Luke 14:25-33).