Making the Best from the Worst
Paul’s Conversion
Introduction
You’ve heard people say things like, I’m too bad off for God to save. [we know that’s silly]
Is there anything impossible for God? [of course not]
Today we will be talking about Saul who is also Paul, the same person, in the Bible.
We sometimes refer to the man as Saul before his conversion and he became known as Paul after his conversion.
But don’t be confused by the naming, he’s the same person.
Paul’s conversion experience is said to be the most amazing in the Bible and indeed it’s very amazing!
Saul was the best at being the worst! He strived to be the best Pharisee which made him absolutely frightening!
He attacked and killed Christians because they believed in Jesus and he didn’t!
Previously, Steven, one of the Deacons of the church at Antioch, was stoned to death.
Saul, a young Pharisee, was there and approved as the people stoned Steven. (Acts 7:57, 8:1)
Saul was very “religious”. Extremely religious! He was likely even a part of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish high court).
Saul believed in God but he did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah! Many Jews still think this way - even Judas thought this way (John 6:64).
(even demons believe in God and tremble James 2:19)
Saul was a religious radical who killed Christians and who went great distances to drag Christians back to Jerusalem to prison to be tried for heresy and executed!
The early Christians, also called, “the Way”, were very afraid of Saul! Saul was like a monster!
Oddly, because of Saul’s persecution, many of the Way were spread abroad causing churches to spring up all over the known world. (Acts 8:1,2) [Appears to be part of God’s plan?]
However, many Christians wondered if the Way could survive!
Commentary
Acts 9:1-39
9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
Wow, breathing out murderous threats! Imagine, this is Paul we’re talking about who later will be one of Jesus’ great apostles (apostle out of time - 1Cor15:8)!
3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
Jesus said Saul was persecuting Him! (rather than Christians) That made it personal!
Imagine being blind for three days and likely being so despondent that he couldn’t eat your drink anything!
Wouldn’t you just feel horrible that your entire life was a lie and that everything you did that you thought was the best thing to do for God was actually the worst thing and so horrible that even Jesus had to come and scold you! WOW! How would you feel?
After being blind for three days, do you think he probably wondered if he would ever get his sight back? That had to be devastating.
Talk about a Jonah in the whale moment, and a man at the altar moment, surely he prayed without ceasing, and could only beg forgiveness during that time!
OK, he was blind, but this surely has to be when Paul’s eyes were opened, so to speak, to the truth that Jesus IS the Messiah and Savior and so Paul was saved!
It would be so nice if everyone could see Jesus and believe, but as was said to Doubting Thomas…
John 20:29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
However, this was surely the hard way to get saved! You do not want to be converted this way! Learn from Paul’s mistakes and be saved by trusting in Jesus. That’s the easier way to be saved than the way Paul got saved! Ouch!
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
So in the meantime, God spoke to a disciple in Damascus, Syria, to place hands on Saul and restore his sight.
Ananias was concerned because he had heard of Saul’s reputation.
God reassured him that Saul would be God’s tool for reaching the Gentiles, their Kings, and to Israel! Think about these three - Gentiles, Kings, and Israel.
God wishes that none should perish, and that all come to repentance!
We are Gentiles, so aren’t you glad God reaches out to us too with the Good News!
(That is why we are here before you even today)!
Interesting how it says that Paul was praying! I’m sure he was begging for mercy!
Interesting how it says, I will show him how much he must suffer for my name! Eek! And Paul did suffer quite a bit!
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
Ananias went to Paul and did as the Lord had said.
Interesting that Ananias knew the whole backstory! Don’t you think that probably surprised some people?
At this point, Paul was fully converted and ready for service and jumped on it! Wow! Talk about a horse out of the gate! You go Paul! He took off like a rocket! Ain’t no stopping now!!!
This was like Paul’s commission to be Jesus’ man to the Gentiles and he grabbed the gauntlet!
Paul was no dummy either, his words were powerful and could debate the toughest of Jews and he baffled them with the truth and proved that Jesus was the Messiah, our Lord and Savior!!!
Don’t you think he probably converted a few of the unconvertable Jews even! Wow!
23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
So what do the Jews do when they can’t win a debate? They turn to murdering? Aweful!
They set up people at the gates of Damascus to kill Paul if they found him!
Paul managed a narrow escape of Damascus by being lowered from a basket from an opening in the wall! God was not through with him yet!
26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.
The Christians were still afraid of Paul because of his old reputation.
It took Barnabas to vouch for Paul and share his conversion story for the people to trust Paul.
Paul spoke boldly in the name of Jesus, but the Jews kept trying to kill him!
The devil and his followers can’t tolerate the truth and the salvation message to be preached!
Again Paul had to flee but wherever he went he spread the Good News!
The church throughout the region was strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit and it grew!
What an amazing, fantastic conversion! When I got saved I don’t remember it being so amazing and fantastic, was yours?
Conclusion
Paul said he was the chiefest of sinners, yet he was saved! If he was the worst, even killed Chiristians, and was saved, surely any of us could easily be saved (if just being too bad to be saved was the argument).
1 Timothy 15,16: Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.
Do you think you’re the worst? You’re not, neither are you perfect! We all need Jesus!
Paul, before his conversion, Paul believed he was the worst! And even he was saved!
Isn’t that God’s plan? To take us, as bad as we are, and love us, fix us, restore us, redeem us?
We know salvation comes by faith in Jesus and does not depend on how good or bad we were.
If salvation depended on how good we were then no one could be saved because we are all sinners and you have to be completely sinless to get into heaven!
Remember that verse about how much he must suffer for my name in Acts 9:16?
We see in 2 Corinthians 11 some of the things he suffered!
> Acts 9:16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
2 Cor 11:22-29
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
Imagine all of the things Paul suffered after his conversion! He got hit from all sides!
He even suffered from his own emotions for concern for all the churches!
Imagine, what great suffering Paul had, his love for people to see them get saved!
Now imagine and realize that Jesus loves you more and has suffered more for you!
He wants to see you get saved and has gone to extraordinary lengths to try to show his love to you and to save you!
How can you say no to someone who loves you that much and wants to take away your sins, and take away the worst and give you the best and make you the best and give you abundant life?!
Because of Paul’s conversion, we have much of the New Testament and we have so much of the Bible to help us understand how to be saved and how to live the Christian walk!
Without Paul’s conversion, we wouldn’t have near the understanding that we do!
Imagine Saul attacked Christians because they believed in Jesus and he thought that made them heretical Jews and less Jewish when the opposite was true.
Paul went from all-in hating Christians and Jesus, to being saved and to all-in loving Christians and Jesus! What a fantastic conversion!
If you don’t know Jesus, He wants to offer His love to you too!
You may not even realize that without Christ you are a sinful monster like Paul was living the worst, having the worst, and being the worst! Is your heart full of hate like Paul’s was?
With Christ you can become the best, have the best, and live the best, and have an abundant life, and allow love to dwell in your life!
Give your life over to Christ as a living sacrifice as Paul did!
Do you love Jesus? Then live for Jesus! We love because He first loved us! (1 John 4:19)
Truly ask forgiveness for the wrongs you have done and put your faith and life in Christ’s hands.
Then stop living the world’s ways and start living God’s ways.
You won’t know God’s ways without studying the Bible and going to Church and praying.
Turning your life over to Christ doesn’t mean you’ll have an easy life but your life will become better than you could ever imagine and there’s no relationship better than a relationship with Jesus becoming a joint-heir with Him and the promise of Heaven!
Paul learned this lesson the hard way, instead learn the easy way from Paul’s mistakes: be saved and live for God before it’s too late.
