Conversion of Saul of Tarsus

THE CONVERSION OF SAUL OF TARSUS (Acts 9:1-9)
Who would we consider as the most influential person in the history of Christianity, excluding Christ? Many of us consider it to be the apostle Paul.

His calling was not to what many of us today consider as "wonderful and abundant" but to suffering and poverty for the sake of the Name of Christ. He suffered constantly for the sake of the people of God, often without financial support, went to prison, and was persecuted. He was called later than the original apostles but was still called an apostle. Paul's apostleship's purpose is answered by the commission given when he was called. He was to carry His name before the Gentiles. Two elements of his conversion stand out.

(1) HE WAS AN AMAZING SINNER. Paul was a zealous man and a radical one. He was raised in Tarsus, an affluent town with a prestigious university. He is a Hellenistic Jew. A hebrew of hebrews. By conviction, he was a Pharisee. A very influential man. He was a profound scholar. He knew the Scriptures well. "He was breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord" as he saw them radically preaching the Gospel. Paul, before conversion, was not a seeker of the Gospel. He was not soft toward it either. We all know people like that. Don't write them off. Don't give up on them. The Lord has the habit of saving the most ungodly, showing mercy to those who seem helplessly lost, in order to display His great patience and reveal His glory (1Tim. 1:15-16).

(2) HE MET AN AMAZING SAVIOUR. Jesus Christ himself actually appears to Paul. And Paul was struck blind. More than a punishment, it was probably showing Paul his weakness, vulnerability, and how utterly dependent he was on God. Most importantly, the main point was to give him time to think through all that he had done, and to reflect on Christ's words. * "Saul, Saul"—calling someone's name twice (We see this many times in the scriptures)—warm, personal and friendly. What grace is this that a wretched person, one who is foremost among sinners, meets Christ who talks to him in such a tender, merciful way! You might think that you have sinned beyond the reach of the grace of God, but our confidence need not be in what we feel, see, or hear but in the character of God. As you come to Christ in repentance, speaks to your heart in a friendly, fatherly manner, taking you in.