The Old Paths Monthly Ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein; And ye shall find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6:16 Alan Jones, Editor May, 2014 The Message Goes to Its #1 Enemy If the first Christians had taken a vote, Saul of Tarsus would have been selected as the most unlikely person to ever be changed by the gospel of Christ. If he had his way, he would put an end to the message that was spreading rapidly, even to regions beyond Palestine. Saul lived and breathed to persecute this new sect that he believed to be totally in conflict with the will of God. He saw himself as God s agent to rid the world of Christianity. He took care of the robes of those who removed them in order to be able to better throw stones to kill Stephen, the first Christian to die for his faith. (Acts 7:58-8:3) Breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, Saul very determinedly made his way some 150 miles from Jerusalem to Damascus. He carried with him letters from the Jewish leaders which gave him the authority to arrest all the Christians he found and bring them back as prisoners to Jerusalem. (9:1-2) But, Saul never completed this mission. The change that took place in him overnight is one of the greatest evidences of the resurrection of Jesus as well as the power of His gospel. Perhaps right now, you have the reputation among those who know you of the most unlikely to ever become a Christian. Or perhaps because of all that you have done or are still doing against the will of God, think that you could never change or that, even if you did change, you are too unworthy for Jesus to pardon you and accept you as one of His disciples. If so, this month s recounting of the conversion of Saul is especially for you
Saul the Penitent As Saul approached Damascus, intent on persecuting Christians, little did he know that his life was about to change forever. A bright light from heaven, more brilliant than the noon-day sun, suddenly blinded him (Acts 9:3; 26:13). The glory of this light was so great that he did not see with his eyes again for three days (9:9). But, it was what he saw with his mind during those three days that caused him to do a total about face : 1) He saw that Jesus was alive! - As Saul fell to the ground, as hit with a stun-gun by the bright light, he heard a voice saying, Saul, Saul, why are you perse-cuting me? When Saul asked who was speaking the answer came back, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. (9:4, 5) How shocked Saul must have been! He had thought for sure that Jesus was dead and he had persecuted with a vengeance anyone who said that He was alive. But, Jesus showed Saul with an amazing display power that He was, without a doubt, alive! After his crucifixion He had resurrected from the dead as Christians had been preaching! 2) He saw that Christianity was true: If Jesus was alive, then He was indeed the One whom His disciples said that He was. He was the Messiah (Christ or King) who fulfilled O.T. prophecy. His resurrection was God s powerful way of declaring to the world that Jesus is His Son (Rom 1:4). It was the one sign that Jesus said would be sufficient to produce belief in Him (Mt 12:39-40. 3) He saw that Jesus is Lord and that he must obey him: Saul knew that if Jesus was raised from the dead and He was exalted to King at God s right hand, then he must obey Him, if he was to serve God. So, he asked, What shall I do, Lord? Jesus told Saul to go into Damascus and await His instructions (22:10). 4) He saw that he was so very wrong: Once he arrived in Damascus, Saul did not eat or drink for three days as a sign of his grief and repentance (cp. Jonah 3:5-10). Guilt did not only overwhelm him; it very painfully crushed him. For quite some time, Saul had, with a clean conscience (Acts 23:1), thought that he was serving God by persecuting those whom he now realized were God s children! All at once he realized that he had the blood of Stephen on his hands and on his conscience (22:20). Oh, how he agonized over his sins! In the blink of an eye Saul the hardhearted persecutor had become Saul the heavy-hearted penitent
Saul, the Pardoned Preacher The time that Saul spent in Damascus waiting for Jesus to tell him what to do must have been a time of pure agony. His blindness reminded him of the awesome power of the Christ he had persecuted. How heavy the burden of guilt weighed on him as day passed into night, and then into another day. For three days, with prayer and fasting (9:9,11), he sought God s mercy. He had to wonder, How could God possibly forgive me? As he waited for instructions, hope appeared in the form of a vision. He saw a man named Ananias come to him and restore his sight. Perhaps at last he would find out what the Lord wanted him to do. Shortly after Saul s vision, Ananias had a vision telling him to go to Saul. Ananias protested. He told the Lord of Saul s reputation and of his openly stated purpose in coming to Damascus. But, the Lord assured him that this notorious enemy of Christianity was His chosen vessel to spread the gospel, to bear His name before the Gentiles, kings, and the sons of Israel (9:10-16). After he received the Lord s assurance, Ananias came to Saul and miraculously cured his blindness. Ananias informed Saul that the Lord planned to use him as a witness of what he had seen with his own eyes, the truth of His resurrection. Then Ananias commanded him saying, Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name (Acts 22:13-16). Saul promptly obeyed and was baptized so that all of his sins could be forgiven, including the many sins he committed while he persecuted Jesus and His disciples (9:18). Saul had finally received both the instructions and the peace that he had been waiting for. When he was baptized, he found welcome relief from the burden of his sin. His sins were washed away. As far as God was concerned he had never done those horrible things against Him. God pardoned him. By God s mercy, He saved him. Saul had a good conscience, a conscience freed from the anguish of guilt and shame (1 Pet 3:21). Immediately, Saul preached in the synagogues saying about Jesus, He is the Son of God.. All who heard him, both Jews and Christians continued to be amazed and scratched their heads in disbelief. He came to the city in order to persecute Christians, but he was now preaching sermons full of evidence proving that Jesus is the Christ (King)! (9:20-22) After Saul preached the gospel for many days, the Jews realized that he had really been converted. So they plotted to kill him in order to silence him. No doubt they feared that the former #1 enemy of Christianity would make many converts through his explanation of why he switched sides. Saul was forced to flee from Damascus by night after his new brethren lowered him through an opening in the wall (9:23-25)
Mercy to You? After many years of preaching, Saul, better known at that time by his Roman name Paul, wrote that he obtained Christ s mercy so that he would serve as a perfect example of His patience for all who would believe on Him in the future. If the Lord could save Saul, a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent aggressor, He could save anybody! (1 Tim 1:12-16) Are you in despair because of your sins against God? Lift up your head! Paul s conversion shows that there is hope for you! God saved him; do not doubt for a moment that He will save you, too! Do you believe that Jesus is the King, the Son of God? Saul saw the resurrected Lord. He must have! What else could have changed his life so instantly and so completely? Saul s immediate conversion gives you a solid basis for faith in Jesus. If you believe, reflect on the way that you have lived. A tender-hearted realization of your sins against God should bring you to grief of conscience and repentance (dramatic change of life) as it did Saul. If you have already come that far, don t wait any longer! Do what Jesus told Saul, the chief of sinners, to do in order to wash away his sins. Won t you arise and be baptized immediately? (Acts 22:16) Accept God s mercy and pardon today! If we can help you with your salvation let us know! We have a baptistery ready 24/7. FOR FAITH THAT INSPIRES YOU TO CHANGE LIKE SAUL We would like to offer to you free of charge this 10 lesson study course: #1: What is Faith? #2: Our God, He is Alive #3: Why is Man Moral? #4: Unity of the Bible #5: Fulfilled Prophecy #6: Is the Bible Accurate? #7: Can We Trust Our Bible? #8: Jesus Character & Works #9: Jesus Fulfilled Prophecy #10: Jesus Resurrection To request the course, write or call or email using the contact information below. South Marion church of Christ 3629 South Washington Street Marion, IN 46953 Sunday Bible Study Worship Schedule of Services: Wednesday Bible Study 7:00 PM 9:30 AM 10:30 AM & 5:00 PM Elders: David Huber 765-506-1551 Alan Jones 765-391-4021 Evangelist: Alan Jones 765-391-4021 ajones1959@hotmail.com www.southmarionchurchofchrist.org A Warm Welcome Awaits You!