Winning Christ.

Paul was baptized.

Act 9:17  And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 

Act 9:18  And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

What's the big deal about Paul being baptized? Well, let's think about it, Paul was a staunch Jew if the highest order of Pharisees, a Christ persecutor, a Christ follower persecutor. Just days before Paul had happily taken part in the murder of Stephen, a Christ follower.  Being baptized signifies what exactly?

Mar_1:5  And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

Confession of sins.

Act_2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Repentance.

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 

Buried with Christ in baptism into death
Raised up from the dead.
Walking in newness of life.

If you've been baptized by immersion as an adult or at least as a young adult or and older mature child that comprehends fully the depths and meaning of baptism then you truly (symbolically) were buried beneath the water, dead, and raised up from that death, rising from the water to now walk a NEW life. The OLD life is buried, all the sins are buried, life previously walked without Christ is dead and gone. To be truly baptized is to have confessed very single sin you're aware of, as well as repenting of those sins making a conscious effort to no longer commit those sins again.

Paul had much to confess once he realized that he'd been fighting against God the entire time he thought he was actually doing God's work. He had great things to repent of. He had many friends and fellow Pharisees that were proud of his zeal for destroying the work of Christ. He had an entire life that he was leaving behind completely in order to follow Jesus. Paul was killing a part of himself as he was baptized. Rising from the water in newness of life had never been more true, more realized. 

Paul knew exactly what he was doing by being baptized.

Too many are flippantly baptized. I'm not saying they don't have a desire to be Christ's and to witness to that through baptism, I'm saying that not many people truly rise to a new life. Their lives go on in the same vein as before, all that is different is they've put on a show of being a follower of Christ. We know that there are going to be many that believe they are Christ's but aren't. These deceived people will have been baptized, they'll outwardly appear to belong to Christ, but they won't be His, not in reality.

When Paul was converted from Judaism to Christianity it was a whole life altering experience. Being baptized was a huge event for Paul, huge. He was becoming the very thing he had been trying to rid the world of. He was voluntarily putting himself into a position to be persecuted. Jesus had shown him the suffering he was going to endure by taking on the title of Christian and he gladly accepted what was to come for Him. We spend a lot of time avoiding suffering at all costs, looking upon suffering as being shunned by God, not as being refined.

Paul had this to say- Php_3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ

He suffered the loss of all things and he knew he was going to suffer in that way, but it didn't matter to him because all that mattered was winning Christ!

May we win Christ all through the LOVE of our Savior, now and forever!