Paul and a picture of salvation…
Conversion of St. Paul by. Gustav Dore
Many Christians have an experience of salvation that is so profound they remember the date, place, and even smells and sounds. Experience can definitely be attached to our being born again, as we will see in the story of Saul's conversion. However, the opposite is also true where someone will slowly come to believe in the propitiatory work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Three times in scripture we see the story of Saul's conversion as it played out, each giving remarkable insights. The first is in Acts 9 and is narrated by Luke. Again, in Acts 26 where we see Paul standing before King Agrippa giving his testimony regarding his conversion. And then in Galatians 1 and 2 we read of his conversion, written by him to the Christians there.
In Acts 9:3 we read, As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
This is a great time to throw in a little theology jargon that will be vital to rightly understand scripture. Exegesis vs. Eisegesis. To keep it simple, Exegesis is reading the text and shaping your beliefs around what God has revealed. Eisegesis, on the other hand, is bringing your own beliefs or presuppositions to the text, or simply skipping texts that do not line up with your thoughts.
We see here Saul heading to Damascus to... What? Why were you going to Damascus Saul? What were you going to do in Damascus?
If we back up a few verses to Acts 9:1 we read, Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Here we see Saul “still breathing threats and murder”. Saul was a great persecutor of the early church. He was on the way to Damascus to “arrest” men and women who had converted to Christ from Judaism. Back in Acts 7 we read of Stephen the first Christian martyr. In Acts 8:1 we read these sobering words... “Now Saul was consenting to his (Stephen’s) death.”
Look at Acts 26:9-11 for a minute; 9 Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
I spent a lot of time on Saul's pre-conversion story to make this point; At the moment of conversion, Saul was NOT seeking Jesus! We live in a time where a large portion of the visible church has bought into the lie that man is basically good and seeking God. We have an entire movement based on this principle known as seeker-sensitive. People think mankind chases satisfaction in drugs, drink, or other vices because they are trying to fill a hole in their soul. This is contrary to scripture which explains that we are indeed enemies of God and slaves of corruption. (Rom. 5:10; Eph. 2:2-3; Col 1:21; Gal. 4:8)
In Galatians 1:13-14, the Apostle Paul tells us this about himself; 13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure AND TRIED TO DESTROY IT. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
Saul was in fact not seeking God but rather unknowingly seeking to wage war against God. He was so utterly bent by the religion he was in, he could not see the truth. He was in all honesty deceived! See one aspect of deception is believing that we can break God's commands in order to better serve God.
Herein lies our next point. Regeneration precedes faith. Later in life, he would actually write about it as the Apostle Paul; writing to the Ephesian Christians he states, “And you He MADE alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,” Eph. 2:1.
Thomas Watson makes this statement in his book, A Body Of Divinity.
“The Spirit irradiates the mind and subdues the will. The will is like a garrison, which holds out against God: The Spirit with sweet violence conquers or rather changes it; making the sinner willing to have Christ upon any terms; to be ruled by him as well as saved by him.” (emphasis mine)
Let’s leave Paul for a minute and see a classic example of this, a lady named Lydia. In Acts 16:14 we read this marvelous statement... “The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.” You see, unless God acts, nothing happens. From creation to covenants to salvation God is the initiator.
Dear friend if you are in a relationship with Christ today, I want to be clear on this point… it is because HE has done a work in you. You did not just happen to show up at a revival meeting and make a trip to the altar. No sir, a sovereign and supernatural work was going on in your heart. You could no more accomplish your own regeneration than you could place yourself in your mother’s womb. As Jesus told Nicodemus; John 3:8 “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” We cannot see the wind only the effects of it.
Paul, again writing to the Ephesians, put it this way... Eph. 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that (faith) not of yourselves; it Is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Please do not mistake this, it isn't that grace is God’s doing and faith is our doing; no, salvation is a total and merciful work of God to undeserving rebels. “So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” Rom. 9:16
Oh friend, is he not worthy of our praise and all glory?
