Throughout the book of Acts, baptism is always the first act that follows conversion. The three-thousand at Pentecost, the eunuch in chapter 8, Saul in chapter 9, Cornelius in chapter 10, Lydia and the Philippian jailer in chapter 16 – all of these were baptized following conversion.
Jim Elliff

Is King Saul In Heaven

Is King Saul In Heaven

IS KING SAUL IN HEAVEN?

Well, let’s see what the Book says. The question is, Is Saul in Heaven or is he not? Of course, you understand that in the Old Testament he’d be in Abraham’s bosom; he wouldn’t be in Heaven. Sins weren’t paid for.

First Samuel chapter 28. Now, this verse would indicate that when Saul died, he died as a saved man. First Samuel chapter 28, and begin at verse 16. In this passage here the witch of Endor has summoned up Samuel, and the Lord has given Samuel permission to come up for a minute to preach a message. And Samuel says in 1Samuel 28:16: “Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David: Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day. Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me.”

We know Jonathan got killed in battle, and Jonathan was saved. So the reasoning is, if Jonathan was one of his sons, and he went to be with Samuel, then, if Saul went where his sons went, he went with Samuel, too.

Now, there are some catches on that. The catch on that is, in the Old Testament, when a man died, he went to Sheol, and both saved and lost were in Sheol. Except you don’t learn until the New Testament that Sheol has two compartments–Abraham’s bosom and hell. So, he could have been in Sheol with his sons, and still be in the wrong place.

Now, evidence for being unsaved is here. Come to 2Samuel. And, in 2Samuel, look at this thing in 2Samuel on God’s promise to David. That would be 2Samuel chapter 7, verse 12. Now, this is the Lord talking to David. You read in the Bible that the Holy Spirit came on Saul, and the Holy Spirit departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. When you’re dealing in the Old Testament, you’re on shaky ground with salvation, because you have fellows the Holy Spirit comes on and leaves, and doesn’t come back–Saul. You have fellows the Holy Spirit comes on and leaves, and comes back– Samson. You have people the Holy Spirit should have left and didn’t– David. So, when you get in there, you’re on shaky ground.

If you try to make all plans of salvation equal throughout the Bible, you mess up your Bible–which is done regularly in school these days. And they try to make a heretic out of Brother Ruckman for keeping his integrity together. I’ll tell you, if the Bible doesn’t fit my plan of interpretation, I change my plan of interpretation. Now, the Scriptures don’t contradict. It’s in the plans.

Second Samuel 7, the Lord talking to David. Verse 12: “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.”

Now, the mercies that God promised to David, He did not give Saul. And those mercies in the New Testament are called the “sure mercies of David.” Turn to Acts 13. In contrast to Saul, turn to Acts 13, where Paul is preaching the gospel message, and right in the middle of the message he refers to the promise you just read in 2Samuel. Acts 13, and I’ll show you in a minute how this is connected with salvation. All right, Acts 13, and this is Paul preaching in the synagogue, and Paul says in Acts 13, verse 34: “And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.”

Then David had a sure mercy established with him that Saul did not have. And one of the strongest arguments against Saul being saved is the fact that he’s not mentioned in the heroes of faith in Hebrews chapter 11, and he was before David–and David is mentioned. When you come to the heroes of faith, you run along there with Adam, Enoch, and then Noah, and Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Joshua–and he mentions David. And he mentions Samson. He does not mention Saul.

Now, come to Psalm 89. Now here are the sure mercies of David, and they are promised to David and his son and his seed. Who was David’s son? Solomon. Then Solomon has to be a type of Christ, because Christ is called the Son of David, and Solomon was the son of David. All right, here they come in Psalm 89, verse 20. And these are given as an exceptional rule in the Old Testament. David has exceptional mercies and grace that other people under the law do not have. You know what the punishment for adultery and murder is in the Old Testament? Did you know no sacrifice was accepted for it?

When David committed his sin, you know what he said? He said, “Thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it. Thou delightest not in burnt offering.” There was no offering allowed for murder and adultery. And yet he said, “Take not thy Holy Spirit from me,” and the Lord didn’t. So David had a touch of grace that you don’t find normally in the Old Testament.

All right now, Psalm 89–the Lord is speaking with David. Verse 20: “I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: With whom my hand shall be established.” Now, verse 25: “I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. Also I will make him my firstborn.” He’ll make David His firstborn? Did God give birth to David? Did God give birth to David? No. So, who is that a reference to, there? It’s a reference to Jesus Christ. Then, David is a type of Christ in that passage. “I’ll make him my firstborn.”

Now, if David is a type of Christ in that passage, watch what happens to his son and the sure mercies. “My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed…” Who is Christ’s seed? Yeah, you–if you’re born again. “Being born again of incorruptible seed.” That’s you. “His seed”–that’s a present truth for the body mystery in Psalms. “His seed…” that’s you… “will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. If his children…” that’s you “…forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments: If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;…” I’ll send them to hell–right? Right? RIGHT? NO! That ain’t right!

Do you all have a Bible open? Are you reading it? Are you reading where I’m reading?

All right, He says if you break the law and break the statutes and break the commandments, you know what’s going to happen to you? Verse 32: “Then will I visit their transgression with the rod…” He’ll beat you… “and their iniquity with stripes…” He’ll whip you… “Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.”

So the “sure mercies” given David are a type of New Testament salvation, and Saul did not have them.

Now, I’m not going to get into an argument with you about it, because I don’t know. Like I said the other night in the message, he was either saved, or he wasn’t. There’s Scripture both ways.