SUNDAY February 11, 2024
A Sinner’s Conversion
“While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’”
Acts 26:12-14
Saul was commissioned by the chief priests to arrest Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem for judgment. God dealt with Saul. He stopped him in his tracks while on his way to Damascus. The conversion of Saul was incredible. He had a supernatural, divine conversion––he saw light from heaven and heard the Lord’s voice.
Notice, the Lord did not say, “Why are you persecuting the Church?” He said, “Why are you persecuting Me?” Saul needed to understand that every time he hurt, imprisoned, or killed a Christian, he was persecuting the Lord. When anyone persecutes you or me, in actuality, they are persecuting Jesus Christ. The Church belongs to Christ! We are the Bride of Christ––the Church (Ephesians 5:25; 32). He dwells in the life of the believer. Jesus made this very clear to Saul.
God, in His love, deals with people. Without Christ, as hopeless sinners, we were wasting our lives. We were living a life of sin, but one day God touched our hearts. Our conversion happened through the power of God––not the power of man. All things are possible with God, but as far as our salvation goes, it is not possible with man.
When I got saved, I saw no light, and I did not hear a voice––I would have had a heart attack! God dealt with me, and my testimony tells people the truth about my conversion from what I used to be to the person I am today. God can heal and transform our lives. That is the powerful way God works.
When we tell the story of our own conversion, I would have it done with great sorrow, remembering what we used to be, and with great joy and gratitude, remembering how little we deserve these things.
~Charles Spurgeon~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
