Thursday, May 18, 2006

road to Damascus

As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Acts 8:3

This week we are thinking through Biblical examples of people that did not start well but finished well. We have considered Jacob, Rahab, and today we will consider Saul/Paul. Saul was a devout Pharisee, "If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." Philippians 3:4-6 He was persecuting the very church that Christ came to establish. "Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciple of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem."
Acts 9:1-2
One day he came face-to-face with the Living Lord. "As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'
And he said, 'Who are You, Lord?' Then the Lord said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' So he, trembling and astonished, said, 'Lord, what do You want me to do?' Then the Lord said to him, 'Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.'" Acts 9:3-6 "Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God." Vs. 20.

Who are the people in your life that appear as if they will never hear, never submit, never bend their knee to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Could there be a harder heart than Saul's? Humanly speaking, salvation seems impossible. But we're not humanly speaking. "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:23-26

When was your time on the "road to Damascus"? Even after salvation, do we not have multiple "road's to Damascus" on which we make decisions to follow Jesus or to go our own way? To finish well, we must be sensitive and obedient to the promptings of Christ, to follow Him.

Diane

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