What is the meaning of Acts 22:16? And now what are you waiting for? Paul repeats Ananias’s urgent appeal. God has acted; delay only hinders blessing. As 2 Corinthians 6:2 reminds us, “Now is the day of salvation.” Hebrews 3:15 warns, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” Every moment of postponement keeps a person outside the full experience of forgiveness and fellowship the Lord freely offers. Get up Obedience starts with decisive action. Throughout Scripture, rising signifies a faith-filled response: • Jesus told the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home” (Mark 2:11–12). • The prodigal “got up and went to his father” (Luke 15:20). • Peter, fresh from prison, was told by the angel, “Get up quickly” (Acts 12:7). Standing to one’s feet declares, “I’m ready to follow Christ without reservation.” be baptized Baptism is the God-ordained, public pledge that one has believed in the risen Lord. Jesus commanded, “Go and make disciples… baptizing them” (Matthew 28:19). Romans 6:3–4 links the act to identification with Christ’s death and resurrection, and 1 Peter 3:21 says baptism “now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.” It is not optional ritual; it is obedient declaration. wash your sins away Only the blood of Jesus cleanses sin (Revelation 1:5). Baptism does not accomplish salvation by itself, but it visibly joins the believer to the saving work already secured by Christ. Acts 2:38 ties repentance, baptism, and forgiveness into one seamless response. Titus 3:5 speaks of the “washing of rebirth,” and Hebrews 10:22 invites us to draw near, “having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us.” In stepping into the water, Saul embraced the promise that every stain would be removed. calling on His name Salvation centers on personal faith in Jesus. Romans 10:13 quotes Joel 2:32: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Ananias reminds Saul that, even in the act of baptism, the crucial element is invoking the Lord’s authority and mercy. Acts 2:21, John 14:13-14, and countless Psalms affirm that the repentant cry, “Lord, save me,” never goes unheard. summary Acts 22:16 captures the gospel’s urgency and simplicity: immediate response, visible obedience, total cleansing, and wholehearted trust in Jesus’ name. Ananias’s words still echo—nothing should delay any sinner from rising, being baptized, and resting in the complete forgiveness Christ freely provides. |
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