Perhaps the most dramatic conversion experience in the Bible is that of Saul of Tarsus—who we know as Paul, the author of much of the New Testament. While traveling to persecute the saints who had confessed Christ, Saul was blinded by a light and a voice said to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” Jesus revealed his identity and then instructed Saul to head to Damascus to receive further instructions. Once Saul reached Damascus, he met with Ananias, a disciple, who explained to Saul what had happened to him.
Anyone who comes to God for salvation will receive it. The story of Saul’s conversion proves that.
Saul thought he was following God’s plan. After all, his persecution of the saints was done in the name of God. Imagine being so convinced that we’re doing the right thing, only to discover that what we are doing goes completely against God’s plan.
When Jesus revealed himself to Saul, he told Saul that he was persecuting him—not the saints that Saul had physically inflicted harm on, but the very one who had died for Saul.
Another observation we glean from Saul’s conversion is the active presence of the Holy Spirit during our surrender to God. In fact, Scripture declares that it is only by God’s Spirit that we can even call Jesus Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3). The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and our need for God, prompting us to turn to him.
Before Saul did one righteous act as a convert, he was filled with the Spirit. He didn’t waste time, did he? In the days immediately following his conversion, he began to preach the gospel. Immediately, when we confess and repent, God comes in. There is no waiting period, no application to be processed. Immediately when we call on the name of the Lord, we are saved. His Spirit enters our lives and daily invites us to a deep relationship with Christ.
It is so dramatic, to say the least. I can honestly say, my conversion was not that dramatic, but, I do believe for me, actually for each saved person, it is that dramatic.
Jesus called us to Him. As a born-again child of God, I had to know that I was lost, separated from God, the Father. In order to come to that realization, I had to hear the Gospel. I was searching for something. Nothing I did satisfied this search, this need. Not my job, not my wonderful husband, not my family, not my friends, not my things. Nothing! But GOD!
I found myself in that search, heeding the advice of a friend that I wasn’t happy, and she would see me Sunday, at 9:30am at the little Church on the State Highway. That was my moment! My Saul moment. Jesus, called out to me through a soft voice of need.
I was blinded, yet now, I see.
It takes my breath away, every time I reflect on that moment. Now, I find myself helping in Sunday School, facilitating a small group in or outreach Children’s Ministry, and talking with others about the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Once the Holy Spirit came into my heart, I feel that Jesus is just leading me! Not perfect, but able to help further His Kingdom.
I pray for others to seek Him, His will, and accept His awesome gift of salvation!
He is a testimony that God can work in anyone’s life no matter how far away they feel. No one is too far gone for Jesus
I am intrigued by the fact that Saul was convinced that he was “fighting the good fight” against Jesus’s disciples. In His heart and mind, he truly thought he was in the right. And then the Lord corrected him in a dramatic way. He took away his sight, so all that was left was sound of God’s voice. I’m convicted by the fact that perhaps I should lean in and LISTEN for the voice of God more – which requires intentionality! It’s requires time in prayer and mediation on the Word, as well as a purposeful inviting of the Holy Spirit into our day. Now, more than ever, I have no excuse for not recentering and refocusing my heart on intentionality with the Lord in order to hear his voice.
On a lighter note, regarding the part of the story that is hard to believe: I’m wondering what it looked must have looked like when the ”scales” fell from Saul’s eyes, as Ananias laid hands and spoke truth over him!?!
The reflection or connection of Sauls story to my life, is that when I think back on the point in my life where the Holy Ghost woke me up and set me back in the right path, it really opened my eyes to what I had done, that I had betrayed God because I was saved at a young age and then fell back into this life of sin as a tee man and I remember feeling like, “Hiw could I have done these things it failed God so?” “What if I have done too much!?” And then I think if Saul and how he persecuted Christians and yet God forgave him. Jesus is more than enough and I’m so thankful that my God is there immediately when I confessed, repented, and called upon Him.
I can relate to Saul’s conversion on the fact that Jesus can save anyone who is willing and wanting. Not only willing and wanting, but at any level of worldly life. I can say I have been at some very low points many times and have walked away from God a few times in my life, and yet, every time , Jesus had pulled me back from the lowest depths and saved me, Me!. I can truly relate.. For me, all of his story is believable.
I can relate to it by thinking that some of the things I do, are righteous acts. When that isn’t the case. When I think I know what should be done instead of praying to God and listening to the Holy Spirit. I end up having the "no God, I got this" mentality.
It must have been so overwhelming to confront the Light (Jesus). I wonder if he had more questions for Christ at that moment. Maybe it was more of a Spiritual understanding and a realization that this is what I now do. When Ananias came to him in a vision and then really came to tell him what to do, I imagine that it all made sense to Paul. The story is real, I am just embellishing so it makes it clear, but I believe that it happened the way the Bible put it.
It is hard to see Saul as such a bad dude and then to make such a conversion immediately for Christ but we know that anything is possible in our life when we turn to the Lord and believe in him.
Yes, I can totally relate. Sometimes, I question, am I really doing what God wants me to do? Is this really the way? How are we suppose to know if it a sign from God or not? You know, Saul thought he was doing the right thing.
Like all of us, Saul started with a faulty understanding of who God is and what it takes to please Him. Paul later describes the Hebrew as having a "a zeal for God, but not enlightened ". I once came to the correct intersection ,but turned South instead of north. Wasted a lot of time before I realized my error. Getting this life of faith right requires we study the character of God revealed by the life of Jesus, lean hard on Him( easier to hear what He says), and then obey.