Presentation 19
Presentation 19
Introduction
The transformation of Saul is for many people one
of the most intriguing stories in the book of Acts.
A violent persecutor of the church is transformed
into a mighty apostle. The change in the direction
of this man's life is due to the supernatural
intervention of God. Saul experienced what the
Bible describes as a ‘conversion’. The doctrine of
conversion poses a number of questions. Do all
conversions need to be as sudden as Paul’s? Do
they necessarily need to follow the same dramatic
pattern? Does everyone need to be converted?
These questions are of fundamental importance
and we must give our fullest attention to them.
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Saul The Persecutor
Saul is introduced as a man implacably opposed to
the cause of Christ and his people. In v1 he is
described as "breathing out murderous threats
against the Christians".
How do we account for this terrible antipathy?
Remember, Saul had been exposed to the gospel
through Stephen's teaching. He hadn't liked what
he’d heard: it challenged the foundation of his own
dearly cherished religious beliefs. He believed that by
attempting to be very religious and very good, and by
helping his neighbour he could earn the favour and
acceptance of God. The gospel undermines the view
that man can save himself!
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Saul The Persecutor
Add to that the fact that some of Saul’s relatives had become Christians [Rom.
16.7]. It is one thing to watch others committing themselves to beliefs that
radically differ from our own, we dismiss them as cranks. But when we see the
converting influence of God’s Spirit impacting upon the members of our
family, winning their hearts and minds then that too can stir up furious
opposition.
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Saul The Persecutor
Surely there is a further reason for the intensity of Saul's opposition. He had a
deeply troubled conscience? Paul’s testimony in 26v14 provides us with the
words spoken by the risen Jesus: "It is hard for you to kick against the goads."
The goads of conscience were tormenting Saul. The convincing truth of
Stephen's teaching, against which he had no argument,
was doing its work.
Was Saul suddenly afraid that the gospel
was true? Was his mind secretly
assenting to the irresistible logic of
the gospel so that the powers of his
mighty intellect were wrestling
with his will? How terrifying.
Frightened men lash out.
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God's Intervention
Was Paul’s persecution of the church an attempt
to silence the accusing voice of conscience? It
was obvious that a crisis would develop sooner or
later. God was moving in on this man.
At a time when Christians did all in their power to
keep out of Saul’s way because they could not
imagine that such a life could be transformed,
God imagined such a reality. God is found at work
in what many would describe as ‘a hopeless case’
for nothing could stand in the way of God’s
irresistible, drawing and converting grace.
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God's Intervention
Notice that Paul's response to the words of the risen Jesus betray the poverty
of his earlier religious life. He asks, "Who are you Lord?" What an admission
for a man steeped in religion. He didn't know God! He had a
knowledge of religion but no knowledge of God. He had a
knowledge of the law but no knowledge of God. He had a
knowledge of ritual but no knowledge of God.
This sad picture repeats itself in our own day. People can
be very religious and yet have no knowledge of God. God
a name to them but not a person, whose voice they
recognise. God is in the business of
transforming such people.
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Paul's Conversion
Some say, “But I am not against Christ in the way that
Saul was. Surely its only the worst of people who need
to be converted?” Is that idea supported by scripture?
Did Jesus teach that only the worst of men need to be
converted? No he said, “Unless you are converted and
become as little children you cannot enter the
kingdom of God.” Matt.18v3. Nor were the disciples
exempt from the necessity of conversion. During the
last supper Jesus said to Peter, “when you have been
converted, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22.31
Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, was not
addressed to ‘the worst of men’ but to worshippers, to
church people. “Repent and be converted so that your
sins may be wiped out …Acts 3v19
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Paul's Conversion
It is common for people who take religion seriously to feel that conversion is for
the worst of men. The wife of Martin Lloyd Jones, a famous C20th preacher,
describes her thinking before her own conversion:
“I was for two years under Martin's ministry before I really understood what the
gospel was. I used to listen to him on Sunday morning and feel, 'Well if this is
Christianity I don't really know anything about it. On Sunday night I
used to pray that somebody would be converted; I thought you had
to be a drunkard or a prostitute to be converted. I remember how
I used to rejoice to see drunkards become Christians and envy
them with all my heart because there they were so full
of joy and here I was in such a different condition."
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Paul's Conversion
What do we mean when we speak of conversion? Conversion involves a
radical, internal change. It involves a heart-allegiance shift for God becomes
first in our lives. It reflects a change of values - the spiritual and not the
material become the focus of our concern. It causes a person to, ‘seek first for
the kingdom of God’ Matt.6v33.
We find these changes in Saul. He gives his
allegiance to Jesus, v5. In v11 we are told
that Saul is praying, not simply saying
prayers, but communing with God.
In v19 he seeks out the fellowship
with other Christians.
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Paul's Conversion
In v20 he is sharing his faith with others. He was a
changed man. By changing his name to Paul he
was saying to all who had known him,
‘I am not the man I used to be’.
I remember attending an eldership training
meeting in Glasgow. An elder sitting beside me
pointed to someone at the other end of the hall
and asked, “What is he doing here? I used to
work beside him, he has never had any time for
God”.
During a tea interval this man approached us and
said, "You must be wondering why I'm here. I'm
not the man I used to be. God has changed my
life." He had been converted!
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Paul's Conversion
Is conversion always as sudden as it appears to be in Saul's case?
But Saul's conversion was not as sudden as it might appear. As we
have already seen God was already at work in Saul's mind heart
and conscience long before his trip to Damascus.
Secondly, God works in people’s lives in quite different ways.
Those who cannot produce an experience as sudden as
that of Saul are sometimes despised by those who can.
My own minister, when asked when he was converted
would say he did not know.
Some people respond to Christ's claims after a long
period of resistance – I think of one women who
consciously resisted God's claim on her life for 12 years.
But others have that resistance broken down almost
immediately.
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Paul's Conversion
Does conversion need to be dramatic? Are we to fly out to
Damascus in an attempt to be struck down by a blinding
light? Of course not! People’s experience varies. For some it
is emotionally traumatic for others a quiet submission and
yielding of their hearts. Feelings are temporary things and
vary from individual to individual. But it is the supernatural
and often unfelt events that are permanent. It is for this
reason that the criterion the N.T. employs for measuring
conversion is neither the dramatic nor the emotional.
Instead it asks, if evidence of God's grace can be found in a
person's life? Is the fruit of God's Spirit is being produced in
the garden of the person’s heart? Can one king be
dethroned in your life and another crowned and there be
no evidence of change in the rule of the kingdom?
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Conclusion
The burden of concern of the N.T is not with the
suddenness of a man's conversion nor indeed
with its manner but with its genuineness. It is
not how it takes place but that fact that it has
indeed taken place that is all important! God is
concerned to know if our hearts have been so
subdued by his grace. Have they? Has God
begun to exercise his rule in our lives because
we have stepped down from the throne? Can
the tenor of our lives, like that of Paul's, be
summed up in the phrase,
“Lord, what would you have me to do?”
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