Transforming Faith

Contact (v3)

Saul was charing full speed for Damascus when he was suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

Confronted with the appearance of the blazing glory of Jesus Christ, Saul, the hardened persecutor of Christians, was speechless with terror.

Christ is always the one who makes the first contact.

Titus 3:3–5 ESV

3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

Conviction (v4)

True salvation must include conviction of sin, since it is this very sin and no other that finally separates man from God.

Saul knew enough about the Christian faith to hate it and persecute it.

He knew the claims of Jesus and the true history of God’s redemption as Stephen had preached it.

He knew the apostles and their associates Stephen and Philip had miraculous power over disease and demons.

All that the Spirit had laid as the groundwork in Saul’s life.

When Jesus confronted Saul, the conviction must have been overwhelming.

He knew about the truth; here he was crushed into the dust and made to believe it.

Conversion (v5)

Saul’s immediate response, “Who art Thou, Lord?” was a recognition of deity—he knew it was the Lord.

The whole Christian gospel filled his mind (negatively) all the time as he pursued his passion of persecuting believers.

It is not hard to believe that he already knew the answer to this question as he asked it—if not by faith, then by fear.

His worst imaginable nightmare would have been to discover that Jesus was the Messiah, Christianity was true, the gospel was God’s truth, and he had been fighting God.

Consecration (vv 6-8)

His entry into the city was very different than he had anticipated.

Instead of barging in as the conquering hero, the scourge of Christians, he entered helplessly blinded, being led by the hand.

God crushed Saul, bringing him to the point of total consecration.

From the ashes of Saul’s old life would arise the noblest and most useful man of God the church has ever known.

Communion (v 9)

So startling and sudden had been his placing of faith in the Savior that Saul needed time to reflect on the transformation of every aspect of his life.

During his three days without sight, when he neither ate nor drank, God led him through the process of reconstructing everything he was and did.

Although salvation is an instantaneous transformation from death to life, darkness to light, it takes time to plumb the depths of its meaning and richness.

Saul began that process.