Lilac Ministries
Bible Study Lessons
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Scripture: Act 9_1-9
Topic: A Change in Spirit
Have you ever discovered you were completely wrong about somebody or something? We all gave examples in our most recent Bible Study of how we were so sure about on thing only to later find out we were wrong. This is precisely the situation Saul, who would later be known as the Apostle Paul, found himself in. Saul was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.” He was completely convinced this new sect of Judaism, “The Way” was evil and needed to be stomped out.
We thought about what convicts a person or group of people about religion that they will go to the extent of killing others who have different beliefs. This has been going on for centuries and doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon. Some of our thoughts were: common sense doesn’t always prevail, deep seated convictions, influence of others who are dear, and a different valuing of life itself.
Saul was raised and trained as a Jewish Pharisee. He knew scripture and its rules inside and out. He was completely convinced his understanding of scripture and had no tolerance for these Jesus worshipers. When Saul traveled to Damascus to clean up more of this cancerous rabble, Jesus decided to change Saul's mind. Christ blinded him and asked, “Why are you persecuting me?” Saul asked “Who are you, Lord?” To which he heard, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
One can only imagine how Saul must’ve felt when he realized the very God Whom he so passionately loved was precisely Who he was persecuting. Perhaps he thought he was going crazy. Perhaps Saul recalled his teacher, Gamaliel's words: “But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."
We can give thanks to God that He gets our attention in a manner that fits us. For some of us, we need only a whisper and nudge to change our thoughts. For others, we need to hit a wall, just like Saul. In any event, God desires that we follow Him. When we are sincere in seeking Him, even if we’re on the completely wrong track, He will find a way to put us back on the path with Him.