See also Acts 22 & 26:14. It is a time of celebration when one person comes to Christ, so imagine the celebration when hundreds come to Christ!

Conversion is a word that means “to go in an opposite direction to where you were going”. It is more than turning over a new leaf or being good living. It is much more than that! It is a journey for Saul as he becomes Paul.

1 – The person he was (vs. 1-2)

See Philippians 3:4-6. Saul’s upbringing was very strict. It was about rules and regulations with right-wing teachings. It was all about external appearances and observation by others. Saul has been opposed to “the Way”. These followers of Jesus Christ were going against his upbringing. Saul is breathing out murderous threats. He sees this as his mission from God. He was a religious fanatic.

2 – The person he met (vs. 3-5)

Paul meets Jesus. Christ causes this light to shine into our hearts. The light went beyond the face of Saul and into his heart. Notice three things:-

• God took the initiative – God was giving Saul a poke! He was being goaded into following Jesus. The hounds of God were after him.
• God called him by name – It wasn’t “Hey you!” God called Saul by name. You are not some number to God. God calls you by name to follow Him.
• Paul surrenders to God – Christ was also being persecuted by Saul! Paul is to surrender to the Lord. His mission to persecute the Church was to be abandoned.

3 – The person he became (vs. 6-9)

The experience was incomprehensible to Saul’s companions, but as Saul opened his eyes (presumably shut tight in a terrified reaction to the heavenly light), he still could not see. It seems that he was so shaken by the experience that he was unable to eat or drink for three days. All Saul could do was simply sit in a blind silence. This was a humbling experience, and a time when Saul must have challenged all his previous ideas about who God was and what pleased God.

4 – The person God used (vs. 10-12)

Ananias was an ordinary man – not an apostle, a prophet, a pastor, an evangelist, an elder, or a deacon. Yet God used him especially because he was an ordinary man. If an apostle or a prominent person had ministered to Paul, people might say Paul received his gospel from a man instead of Jesus. In the same way, God needs to use the ordinary man – there is a special work for them to do.

You have to feel sorry for Ananias. Saul was a legend and big trouble for the Church. We shouldn’t under-estimate how God will use you or whom God will use. God invites us to be available. The scales fall off Saul’s eyes. He disappears for years while he prepares for ministry. Conversion is an ongoing process.

Categories: Acts