Based on Acts 9:20-31 (New King James Version)
“Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed, and said, ‘Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?’ But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ. Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket. And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus. Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.”
When a decision is made to follow Christ, it is not about following a religion, or assuming certain practices, or obeying certain rules. But it is about something deeper, decisive, and above all, a change of life, making our life take another course totally different from the one we were on before submitting ourselves to the Lord. And when something like that happens, there must be something very visible, and even tangible, happening in our lives. In summary, when that moment genuinely happens, it is an encounter with Almighty God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Simply put, something totally climactic must happen, a transformation that shakes the very foundations of our lives.
Why should there be something so noticeable in us with that encounter with God? Because that is precisely what the issue is about. It may not be something as physically tangible or noticeable as what happened to Paul, but also, not so far away, and something that has nothing to do with feelings or emotions, but with deeper and more meaningful things. In order to explain this type of reaction that must exist in us, we must first answer a question: Who is this remarkable encounter about? It’s about God. God is not a human being. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, although He took on our human likeness in order to fulfill the sacrifice of the cross, was (and is) more than a man. He is God, the God through whom God the Father created all things. He is the Word which God used so that things would be created. This is what the Word says: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:16-17. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” John 1:1-3. When we meet certain special people in our lives, people like you and me, it leaves a very deep impression sometimes. For example, people who get married remember very well the first moment they saw that special person. There are others who are impressed by meeting an artist, or an athlete, or a rich person, or a highly intellectual person, and so on. But if we are impressed with human beings who are ultimately made of flesh and blood just like us, who exist one day and perish the next, what then should the encounter with the Almighty God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, be like? Are you beginning to understand the matter?
Now, what is it that produces a real encounter with God, what can really transform a human being? True and genuine repentance and conversion, and that belongs entirely to us. The Lord is always trying to have encounters with us and calls us to salvation at every moment. The problem is that we are so focused on our own sin and will that we overlook this incredible Being, despite all the times and different ways He tries to call us. Sin is what blinds us, despite how good and right we believe ourselves to be. Such is our hardness of heart that we even ignore things like the brightness of the sun every morning, the incredible dance of the planets that follow their course precisely, and something as supposedly simple as the breathing of our lungs and the beating of our hearts, all of them made possible because God simply spoke them into existence through His Word. This is what the Scriptures say regarding repentance: “Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’” Matthew 3:4-10. God calls. God brings conviction of sin through His Holy Spirit. God provides us with His Word so that we can understand. God is the One who allows circumstances to help us realize that we need Him, but responding to God “appropriately” belongs entirely to us. And if we do not come to God with the “correct” disposition and recognition, there is simply no change, there is no born again experience as Christ explained. This is what the Word says: “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’’” John 3:1-7.
In Paul, there was this very notable repentance and conversion, and he was able to be born again, and in such a way that the churches were even able to have a short time of peace, because it was Paul who was persecuting the church. His conversion not only stopped persecution momentarily, but he even became what God would use to bring the Gospel to us today. That is what produces a true conversion, what can really transform man and make known the presence of the Almighty Lord on earth. So, how have you chosen to respond to God? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!