From Hit Man to Holy Man

Kim Shin Jo, a pastor from South Korea, used to be a trained killer.

In January of 1968, Jo and a team of assassins descended from North Korea, slipping through the woods in a daring attempt to kill the president of South Korea. The team of 31 commandos made it to within a few hundred meters of the president’s residence before they were intercepted. A fierce battle ensued. All of the North Korean soldiers were killed, except one who escaped and Kim Shin Jo, who was captured.

After months of interrogation, and through a surprising friendship with a South Korean army general, Kim Shin Jo’s hard heart started to soften. Later he would confess, “I tried to kill the president. I was the enemy. But the South Korean people showed me sympathy and forgiveness. I was touched and moved.”

The South Korean government eventually released Kim Shin Jo. Over the next three decades he worked for the military, became a citizen. Six months later he married a South Korean woman who had been his pen pal while being held by the authorities. Through her, he came to trust Jesus. Finally, he became a pastor in Seoul, South Korea.

Today Jo’s life serves as a symbol of redemption for the entire country of South Korea. Reflecting on the day of his arrest, Kim Shin Jo commented, “On that day, Kim Shin Jo died. I was reborn. I got my second chance. And I’m thankful for that.”

Kim Shin Jo found a new birth and God’s grace through the power of Christ. But his encounter with Christ came through the unexpected, surprising love of other people. Despite his betrayals and sins, an army officer accepted him, befriended him, and believed in him. At one time he was the enemy of the South Korean people, but in the spirit of Jesus Christ, they surprised him with the startling gifts of belonging, forgiveness and even citizenship.

Isn’t amazing how God can change the entire trajectory of a person’s life? You find yourself going down one path. You think everything is great. You think everything is good? And then you find you’ve completely missed the bus?

Or maybe it’s just the opposite. You find yourself in a terrible way. Everything seems to be going wrong. It seems your life is falling apart.

And then you met Jesus. Everything changed. What you thought would never happen is now your new reality. A new life. A new direction.

The good news is there is hope for everyone. We’re not doomed to follow the current path we’re on.

When Jesus shows up, everything changes.

What we once thought impossible is now possible.

Jesus can take the best of us, and the worst of us, and bring us to the point of surrender.

There is hope for everyone. No one is too far gone to have their life changed forever by the Son of God.

If God can turn a hit man into a holy man, there’s hope for any man.

Obviously, I’m talking about our subject this morning, the man who would one day become the Apostle Paul.

Let’s take a look at how Saul went from a hit man to a holy man.

I. Saul is Totally Opposed to Jesus (Acts 9:1-2)

A. Saul is persecuting Christians

Luke makes a great shift in the story of the early church and in the acts of the early church.

We first heard about Saul in chapter 7 where all those who stoned Stephen had laid their coats at Saul’s feet, and was even cheering them on.

In chapter 9 we see that Saul is still on his vindictive vendetta against the follower of Jesus.

In verse 1 we see him “breathing threats” against the disciples. inhale - figuratively, to be animated by, bent upon. His contention with Christians consumed his life.

But Saul wasn’t just “talk and no action.” He set out with an arrest warrant for any and all followers of Jesus.

Saul asked the high priest for "extradition papers” from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any of these believers of the “way” that he could arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial.

The disciples weren’t called “Christians” until Antioch as we see in Acts 11:26. Here they’re called followers of the way, possibly referring to Jesus’ saying He was the way, the truth, and the life.

Saul is consumed with his self-appointed mission of eradicating this new movement. He is eaten up with it.

His all-consuming fervor reminds us of the relentless inspector tracking down Jean Val Jean in the play Les Miserables. Both the inspector and Saul consider themselves righteous representatives. In reality, both intended to imprison those more righteous then they.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes people who are the most consumed with something are the most fearful of it?

That happens in a lot of areas. Sometimes the people who the most opposed to something are the most fearful of it. Saul was consumed with destroying the church.

B. Saul set out to eradicate Christianity but in the process surrendered to it.

It’s interesting that a number of years ago, a lawyer by the name of Frank Morrison, who was an unbeliever, said there are two Biblical events that we must deal with to overturn Christianity.

The resurrection of Jesus, and the conversion of Saul of Tarsus.

So, it was these two events that Frank Morrison set out to contradict, and show why they were false. He said if I can manage to get at those two events, I can overturn Christianity.

And, as he did his research, Frank Morrison found that the evidence was overwhelmingly for Jesus Christ, both in his resurrection and with the conversion of Saul of Tarsus.

And Frank Morrison, the atheistic lawyer gave his life to Christ.

Just as Morrison, the conversion of Saul of Tarsus was an unlikely conversion.

Let’s take a look at that history-changing moment...

II. Saul has a "Come to Jesus" Meeting (Acts 9:3-6a)

A. Saul gets the ultimate wake-up call that shattered his misconceptions about Jesus.

Saul was almost to Damascus when something extraordinary happens.

Suddenly he’s enveloped in a bright light. It’s blinding. And it’s shining on Saul.

But it’s not an ordinary light. This is noon. In the Middle East. Paul says so in chapter 22.

Paul described it as a light brighter than the sun.

When Jesus gets your attention, there’s no mistaking it.

And Saul is knocked to the ground. How strange this must have been for Saul. The person who was in such control. A Type A personality.

The one who was interrogating others, is now the one being interrogated.

Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

And Saul knew enough to know that what’s happening to him is supernatural.

And Saul says, Who are you, Lord?

And Saul realizes something for the very first time.

The voice says it’s Jesus that you’ve been persecuting.

B. The Revelation of Truth: Saul realizes his 'service' to God was in fact persecution against God himself.

Saul was so sure he was doing the right thing by persecuting those who were the followers of Jesus, that he never expected to hear the words, “It’s Jesus, whom you’ve been persecuting.”

Saul was so sure he was right. He was convinced he was on the right path. Saul was sincere.

Sincerity never got anyone right with God. Misguided conviction will never please God.

Saul now asks, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”

What we see here is the most unlikely conversion. The man who was bent on arresting Christians and putting them to death is now arrested by Jesus.

You know, everybody has people they know who are like the most unlikely ever to be saved, and you could never see that happening to them.

I hope you rethink that thinking after we unpack what happened to Saul.

Because Saul would say if he can be saved, anybody can.

And the man who at the time was the chief antagonist against Christianity, would become the chief protagonist for Christianity.

If God can turn a hit man into a holy man, there’s hope for any man.

I want you to think about that person in your life. That person who you think could never turn their life over to Jesus. It could be your spouse. It could be a son or daughter, a brother, sister, mom, dad.

I want you to see their face.

And now I want you to picture Jesus in all His power and glory making Himself real to that person and turning their life upside down with the realization of who He is and what He has done for them.

Just like He did for Frank Morrison. Just like He did for Saul of Tarsus. If God can turn a hit man into a holy man, there’s hope for any man. Or woman.

Let’s go on.

III. Saul Surrenders to Jesus (Acts 9:6b-9)

Before Saul could recover from the shock of hearing that this miraculous encounter with with the very same Jesus that he was trying to keep the people from following, he gets orders to go into the city.

This was the first of many commands from Christ Saul would obey.

Jesus gives Saul a new faith, a fresh interpretation of the Old Testament, and a new identification with the followers of the way.

A. The Transformation Begins: A humbled and blind Saul follows God’s instructions, signaling his surrender to Jesus' authority.

Saul, on the road to Damascus with letters of extradition, suddenly gets thrown to the ground and his attention arrested by Jesus.

I want to read from Philippians chapter 3. Paul is telling the Philippians about his background. Let me start with verse 10-14.

Notice the word “laid hold” in verse 12. In the language Paul wrote in, it’s the Greek word that means “to arrest, or seize.” The Greek word katalambano.

So, here’s Saul, going to arrest Christians, katalambano, and on the way Jesus Christ arrests him. Seizes him. Lays hold of him. Gets his attention.

I believe Paul remembers vividly his conversion experience.

Saul’s conversion was dramatic.

Now, I’ve noticed something about people’s conversions. Every story is different.

Some people will tell me I’ve gone to church all my life life. I heard the gospel. I sort of made a commitment, then I made more of a commitment, then I made a real commitment.

So, for some people, it’s a process of revelation. But not always.

Sometimes conversion happens suddenly.

Instantly. It’s like an epiphany happens. It’s like, “I get it. I believe.” And it’s amazing how life can turn so quickly.

For some people it’s a catastrophe. The death of someone dear to them. The result of a biopsy. Suddenly God has their attention. And suddenly, they give their life to Christ.

For Saul, he’s heard the testimony of Stephen. He’s heard the gospel. But it didn’t affect him at the time.

Maybe you’ve heard the gospel and you thought, “that’s nice.” I believe God will nudge people. But there may come a time when He may knock you down, pin you to the ground, and say, “now, have I got your attention?”

That’s what happens to Saul.

In Conclusion: If God can transform a relentless persecutor like Saul into a faithful servant and powerful proclaimer of His word, there's hope for any man.

This divine transformation is possible for anyone. Jesus is capable of getting anyone’s attention, just as He did for Saul.

Remember that face you had in your mind earlier. The person you think would never in a million years turn to Jesus.

Let the conversion of Saul of Tarsus convince you that, "If God can turn a hit man into a holy man, there's hope for any man".

Embrace this truth and let it inspire us to never give up on anyone, understanding that God’s love can reach and transform the hardest of hearts.