Most people believe and teach that Saul was saved on the road to Damascus. Where does this belief come from? It does not come from the account of Saul's conversion (found in Acts chapters 9, 22, and 26). This belief is the consequence of the false doctrine of "salvation by faith only." It is reasoned that, since Saul saw the Lord on the road, he then believed in Jesus and must have been saved at that moment. This idea has to be brought to the account and read into the account. If one will simply read the account of Saul's conversion in the Scriptures, he will find no evidence of Saul's being saved on the road to Damascus. Consider the following points.

1. There was no rejoicing. "And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank" (Acts 9:9). Saul did not leave the presence of the Lord rejoicing. He left the Lord in penitent sorrow. So great was his sorrow that he could not eat or drink. Others rejoiced when they were saved (Acts 8:8, 39, 16:34). If Saul was saved on the road, he was the most miserable saved man described in the book of Acts.

2. There was no peace. There is no doubt of Saul's faith and repentance, yet he had no peace. This is significant, because Paul himself later wrote, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Saul had no peace with God when he entered Damascus. He was still in the sorrow and agony of his guilt and condemnation.

3. Saul was still in his sins. When Ananias came to Saul in Damascus, he said unto him, "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16). What purpose does baptism serve? According to Ananias, Saul needed to be baptized to have his sins washed away. When Ananias came to Saul in Damascus, Saul still had his sins. If Saul was saved on the road, then someone needs to explain to us how one can be saved from his sins while still having his sins?

4. Saul was saved without calling on the name of the Lord. The promise found in the Bible is "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:21, Romans 10:13). Ananias told Saul to do this when he came to him in Damascus, which means Saul had yet to do it. According to the Bible, Saul could not have been saved on the road because he had not yet called on the name of the Lord.

What does it mean to call on the name of the Lord? Some have the idea that it means to pray unto God to save them. According to Ananias, it means to be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 22:16). To call on the name of the Lord means to receive salvation on His terms, not on our own terms. It means to receive salvation by meeting the conditions set forth by the Lord.

5. Saul was sent to Damascus to be told what he must do. "So he, trembling and astonished, said, 'Lord, what do You want me to do?' Then the Lord said to him, 'Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do'" (Acts 9:6). One might object by saying, "In the city, Saul was told to be a witness to the Gentiles." No, the Lord told him this when He appeared to him on the road (Acts 26:15-18). In the city, Ananias came to Saul and told him what to do to be saved.

What was Saul told to do? Ananias did not exhort Saul to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, because he already believed on Him. He did not command him to repent of his sins, because Saul was as deeply penitent as a man could be. He did not tell him to pray for his salvation, because Saul had been praying fervently for three days. He did not tell him to wait, but to arise and be baptized to wash away his sins (Acts 22:16).

What would the Lord have you to do to be saved?