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THE FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENTS OF THIS SO GREAT SALVATION — Part 5 "So he, trembling and astonished, said, 'Lord, what do You want me to do'" (Acts 9:6a)? We have been considering the fundamental elements involved in authentic conversion. These spiritual components are the dramatic consequence of the Wind of God powerfully applying the Gospel of Jesus Christ in His regenerating work of gracing a sinner with a spiritual heart transplant! This glorious passage concerning the conversion of Saul of Tarsus distinctly describes the foundational elements always present and active in the conversion of any sinner! Saul, in particular, was a man who had previously been a violent opponent of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Gospel. Yet, on this life-altering day on the road to Damascus, Saul of Tarsus was graciously arrested with a personal awareness that he was being acted upon by God the Son. Confronted with the truth that the One whom he had been persecuting is God the Son, he was gripped with alarming fear concerning what the Lord Jesus thought of him. Additionally, Saul was utterly convinced that his previous lifestyle of self-righteous religiosity was nothing but a pile of filthy rags before the Lord. His heart was staggered with the truth that he, a pharisee of Pharisees, was a destitute, defiled, and desperate sinner in the presence of God the Son. His heart stabbed deeply with the overwhelming truth that all of his thousands of sins had been personally committed against the Lord Jesus. As a result, he was profoundly alarmed with a holy trembling and heart-shattering astonishment concerning the perilous condition of his soul, the eternal destination of his soul, and his urgent to be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. This leads us to the following fundamental element: the response to this confrontation. Saul, asks, "LORD, what will You have me to do?" Straightaway, Saul of Tarsus expressed a personal vocal testimony of the 'unconditional surrender of his will' to the Lord Jesus Christ. He cried out in utter humility and submission to the Lordship of the One he had previously sought to destroy. May I say, "Saul of Tarsus raised the 'white flag' of the personal surrender through repentance toward God and saving faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ!" The mighty converting work of the Lord had produced the dramatic effect of a profound conviction upon his mind. Through the Spirit's supernatural work, the roots of brokenness and contrition were planted in his emotions. As a result, it yielded the consequential transformation of CONVERSION upon his will! Notice the words, "LORD, what will You have me to do?" This violent and treasonous rebel was powerfully transformed into a true and spiritual worshiper of the Lord Jesus Christ! While it is true that the intensity of these supernatural effects on the mind, emotions, and will that will vary among converts to Christ, all must yield to His Lordship. However, unless a man's heart, mind, and will are all involved in an encounter with the Lord Jesus, there is no authentic conversion. Some may attempt to contradict this by pointing out a scripture, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved". Many think that means that anyone who SAYS those words that they have believed must be a Christian. We must never forget that many "so-called faith in Jesus" never comprise authentic saving faith! A supernatural work of the Spirit in the mind, emotions, and will must be present (at least to some degree) if there is going to be a Bonafede conversion to Jesus Christ. I emphasize that "there is an infinite distinction between a 'mere mental assent to a set of propositions about Jesus and the sinner,' with an 'authentic repentance toward God and saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.' There is an eternal difference between a 'superficial agreement with some historical facts about Jesus' and 'a life-transforming genuine conversion encounter with Christ Jesus the Lord!