The Conversion of Saul Acts 9:1-19

Reading of the Scripture

Acts 9:1–19 ESV

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.

Introduction

Today will the examine the conversion of Saul, who we know today as the apostle Paul. In doing so we will look at key doctrines;

Why conversion needs to take place

What true conversion is

Living out this conversion

Saul the man

For those of who grew up in the church this is a little bit of a repeat button, but for those who did not let me play a track you may have never heard.

Saul was a man who grew up in Taurus (south eastern part of Turkey) in city of heavy Roman influence, Hellenistic beliefs, but he was a Benejmite, a Jew by birth being taught the pharistic teachings and would be a teacher of the law.

In the eyes of men of his day, he was well respected being both a Roman citzen to which would for a brief time keep him alive, and being respected in the upper religious section of the Jewish religion.

Saul in today’s terms is the tie wearing, college educated, upper middle class church leader. From the outside looking in, everyone looks to Saul for answers.

Saul given the respect he had, had no issues or degrading words thrown at him when he was at least a witness to the death of Stephen the first Christian martyer.

Saul is a good guy, but in the eyes of the Lord Saul was a sinner fit for the graves of death both physically and spiritually.

Examine the text

Having this background let’s work our way through the text and and as we go look at those keys doctrines.

Verse 1: Saul heart here will point us to our first point of the need of conversion or more biblically suited regenration of his soul. Saul is still carrying heated anger to what he thinks are his enemies, those belonging to Christ (the way)

His desire is to bind them up and do as what was done to Stepehen, murder the one who follows Jesus. He would attain this permission from the High Priest whose heart was just harden.

Now I want you to know something, Saul knew the word of God and Christ being the word which is God; Saul is not dumb. His heart like his Jewish peers was at odds with what the law and prohepets taught.

What was a pure religion has quickly turned into a self-worship. They have created a religion of their own, forgetting everything that was taught to them.

Here is where we answer the question and look at the first doctrine; Why regeneration must happen is because of man’s sinful nature which is depraved without hope or access to God.

Total Depravity

Without drawing out to lengthy of a explanation, when sin entered the world through Adam not only did man inherit a nature prone to sin, but his entire being is at war with God.

The 1689 London Baptist Confession teaches this in chapter 6: 3

By God’s appointment, they were the root and the representatives of the whole human race. Because of this, the guilt of their sin was accounted, and their corrupt nature passed on, to all their offspring who descended from them by ordinary procreation. Their descendants are now conceived in sin and are by nature children of wrath,the servants of sin, and partakers of death and all other miseries—spiritual, temporal, and eternal—unless the Lord Jesus sets them free.

Saul despite knowing the law, his condition of his soul is just as depraved and worse since by persecuting the church which we will see in the persecution of Christ, he rejected Christ for all these years. He has rejected the one who fulfills the law and the one whom the prophets has spoken.

Saul is a wicked depraved man in need of redemption, just as the man who attends church but has not encountered Christ.

Verse 3 - 5

Saul’s depravity is really seen in his anger against the church, which is directed anger at Christ. Christ comes to Paul and without hesitation says you persecute me through the killing and binding of my people who follow me.

Understanding Depravity

Many people have trouble with the concept of total depravity. While not denying they are sinners, many people feel that their sin isn’t bad enough to condemn them. What they don’t understand is that any sin is wholly unacceptable to God. Let’s suppose I invite you over to my house this Saturday morning for omelets. The day comes, you knock at my door, I let you in, and go to the kitchen to prepare the meal. There on my counter are several mounds of chopped onions, green peppers, ham, and sliced mushrooms. Nearby is a bowl of grated cheese. While you wait in the dining room I reach into the refrigerator for the eggs. To my shock, I discover that I have only six eggs. That’s okay, except that one of the eggs is rotten. There isn’t time to go get fresh eggs, so I say to myself, “I’ll just mix this rotten one in with the good ones and they’ll never know the difference.” In a few minutes when I serve the omelets, you begin sniffing the air. “What’s that funny smell?” “Oh, don’t worry about that. One of the eggs was rotten, but I just mixed it in with all the rest.” Would you accept that omelet? No, you wouldn’t. And neither will God. (Ray Prichard Message on Romans)

Thou Saul on the surface had in man’s eyes good report, good service, the right religion, the proper prayers, his heart was wicked and against God. Therefore friend you too who are without Christ are but a rotten egg unworthy to be accepted.

Regeneration Verse 17- 19

We will look at Annaias in a second, but I want to bring us down to verses 17-19.

Saul has been stricken blind, has been days without food and security of sight. Saul has been humbled by the Lord.

The harden heart must be soften by the Holy Spirit so that one may come to Christ. This calling of salvation is the work of the Triune God.

We have addressed how depravity impacts a man, he is unable to recieved and is really worse than a rotten egg. How does who is unable by his sinful nature become regeneration, converted, or in terms we are familiar with born again?

Let us go back to the London Confession Chapter 10 section 1

In God’s appointed and acceptable time, he is pleased to call effectually,1 by his Word and Spirit, those he has predestined to life. He calls them out of their natural state of sin and death to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ.2  He enlightens their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God.3 He takes away their heart of stone and gives them a heart of flesh.4  He renews their wills and by his almighty power turns them to good and effectually draws them to Jesus Christ.5  Yet he does all this in such a way that they come completely freely, since they are made willing by his grace.

God in his providence has chosen Paul to salvation, struck him blind, taught him through humbling him, the Spirit of God came upon Saul, Saul is born again, and is baptized.

This is what happened to you who are in Christ; you are born again because the providence of God elected you before time, drew you by His Spirit and redeemed you at the cross.

Saul encounters Christ.

Living out our salvation Verses 15 - 16

As much as I want to touch on the faith of Ananias, and how instrumental he was in the salvation story of Saul; we must look at how Saul will live out his conversion.

Sinners are not redeemed so that they can attend weekly Christian fellowships and feel good about their longevity as church members.

Sinners are redeemed to bring glory to God and being used as instrument in the great commission. If you are redeemed, you are for the use of God’s glory, to be the bride of the Son, and make Christ known throughout every generation.

Saul would be regenerated for the glory of God, to proclaim the gospel among the gentiles.

Suffering the call of the gospel

Now that sounds like a fairy tale Christian story, but the Christian life comes with a cost; remember it cost Jesus everything. Saul (who will become Paul) will have to suffer much and would end up dead because of following Jesus.

His pretty little religious life is about to be shaken in taking up the cross which Christ calls every follower of His to do. If you are a member of Waugbtown Baptist, we will hit these trials of Paul in the coming weeks.

I turned on the TV yesterday and caught wave on the tale end of a story of a missionary couple who was murdered in Hati. Hati first is not a tropical vacation or youth group mission trip building wells in a fairly safe terrioty.

This couple picked up their cross in a war torn, pagan worshiping, nation to face death for preaching Christ. Leaving behind family.

Christian this is the call of salvation, I do not know how in the west we got the idea that Christianity is what takes place in the safe walls on Sunday morning where the biggiest challenge is face your giants of overcoming debt, King David did.

Western Christianity is digusting depravity that hates Jesus and has created self worship; just make sure you don’t remove the hymnals because then the church will really suffer.

Biblical Christianity

Biblical Christianity is death to self, picking up the cross, and glorfying God in all spheres of life. You are who redeemed are to be purified to be holy unto the Son, to be presented as a pure bride, to make His name known.

Saul would still have to learn this, and it is safe to say he did.

Application

To the religious:

You maybe sitting here today, having grown in the church and like Saul never met Christ only heard of him. Let me share with you my story or part of it.

I grew up in a Christian home, was a religious child who knew Sunday School and Church attendance was the Christian thing to do. For a long time that was Christianity, until the Lord gave me life in my teen years serving in a VBS camp.

In my 20’s I became mentored by Pastor Ben Milner, who taught me the faith and was critical in my growth in Christ.

You can grow up religious, you can be 89 years old with much of your life in the church and never be saved. I grew up in the church and only by the grace of God was I saved at a young age.

I can tell you this, despite being saved in my teens, if I was not I would still attend church on Sunday and probably hold on to carnal Christianity which is not saving faith. Especially here in the South where Christianity is culture but not the heart.

Be warned Saul’s you maybe not saved and you’re trusting in your church membership.

To the Christian

If you are born again; your life is not your’s to have. Your life is to give to Jesus even if it costs you everything. Paul would suffer much.

Christianity is taking up the cross and stepping in places they are not the prettiest.

Yet in folllowing Christ it is worth everything; because when you are called into the presence of God there is no greater thing than to worship Him.

I don’t mean Heaven, thou that will come. I mean worshiping God can take place under a bridge when men are smoking weed but souls are being saved. In a dichotomy that seems false, there is holy ground.

I’ve seen God work in places where drug addiction happens, and I’ve worshiped God under bridges where addicts fall asleep.

Many of you know I used to teach at Rise Academy, and let me tell you I’ve been educated on street life but can also tell you street life is not dead life.

My point is this; the safety net of the church often has more Saul’s that will never experience Christ, but those that do experience Christ will live a life of picking up the cross, but there you will find Christ in ways you never knew were possible.

To the children of this room

My deepest prayer for you is that you will know Christ and follow him. Don’t age to become a Saul, and don’t fear what Jesus will ask you to do.

Follow Christ and if the day of your salvation comes, I want to know about it. I know many of you kids in this room from Rise Academy to Trail Life. I am grateful for you and I look forward to the day of your baptism!

Conclusion

True regeneration produces works, works do not produce regeneration as we see with Saul. Salvation is in Christ and Christ alone and it will cost you everything, but is worth everything.