WEDNESDAY November 15th
Acts 9:1-6
‘But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”’
Well today, we have gone back in time from Romans 1 to the moment that Paul, who here in our text today is called Saul, became a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s testimony is an incredible story of how the grace of God can meet an individual and totally transform them.
Our introduction to him is found in Acts 8:1 where it says that he was present at the time when Stephen became the first Christian martyred for his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. By the time we come to chapter 9, Saul seems to have become one of the most violent individuals who hated all those who belonged to the Way, that is those who had put their faith in Jesus. He was out to destroy everything that was happening as a result of the gospel, he was obviously filled with hatred toward any that had chosen to love and live for Jesus. But such is the miraculous power of God all of this was about be turned around.
While making the journey to Damascus, filled with hatred for the believers he had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Rather than Saul arresting the Christians, Christ arrested Saul! And, well, the rest is history recorded for us in the word of God. Later in this same chapter (make some time today if you are able to read this whole chapter) we find that Ananias is sent to Saul to explain to him what had happened and why it happened and what Saul was now being called by the Lord Jesus Christ to do (read verses 15-17 – we will use these verses tomorrow)
The gospel is a gospel of hope, and it should also give us hope that there may be those who we are praying for who seem to be so far away from God that it seems that it would be impossible for them to be saved. But Saul’s story gives us hope for them and the assurance that there is absolutely nobody who is so far away from God that they cannot be saved, so long as there is breathe in their lungs the same gospel that saved Saul, that saved you and me can save them. And perhaps by chance or so it may seem to be by chance there may be someone who has come across this devotion, maybe on the internet and you feel that you are hopelessly lost and that you are too far away from God’s mercy and grace, this is not so, God is full of grace and full of mercy, he reaches out to the whosoever and he says to you today ‘Call on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved’. If this is you, email us at the Church and we will seek to help you further in your journey of faith.