Acts 9:17-21 :

Ananias departed, and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me, that you may receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized. He took food and was strengthened. Saul stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus. Immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed the Christ, that he is the Son of God. All who heard him were amazed, and said, “Isn’t this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!”

A true conversion happens only when we believe that Jesus is who He says He is and when this happens, we change how we act. If you really believe in something, your actions automatically show it. This change of belief creates the truest form of repentance. Repentance is turning from the wrong way and going the right way and that is exactly what we witness in this passage in Saul’s life.

Ananias, in full obedience and belief in God, recognizes Saul’s change and brings him healing and the Holy Spirit. Notice that Saul got baptized physically after he was baptized spiritually. The physical baptism was only an outward symbol of what happened spiritually.

“Immediately,” Saul stopped persecuting and started proclaiming “the Christ, that he is the Son of God.” He repented by turning from his old path and going down a new one and that is how true conversions are. Notice the difference between the “conversion” of Simon earlier. Instead of immediately starting to do what was right, he continued doing wrong which revealed the fact that He didn’t really believe.