The Apostle Paul's Conversion Story - Acts 22

6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ 8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. “ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. 10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. 12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

We know that Paul was one of the greatest missionaries of all time. He traveled to many cities in Asia and Europe and planted almost all of the key churches in the first century. But before Paul was converted to Christianity, he actually hated Christians and persecuted them.  He was zealous to protect the Jewish community from the Christians, who were converting Jews left and right.  Paul was even there at the stoning of Stephen, the first deacon of the church.  But then something happened to Paul.  

On the road to Damascus Paul met Jesus.  Literally he was "blinded by the light".  Jesus appeared to Paul and asked him why he was persecuting him.  Then he revealed to Paul he was Jesus of Nazareth.  Jesus told Paul to go to Damascus where he sent Ananias to restore his sight.  Then Paul received his calling to be a witness for all he had seen and heard about Jesus.  Paul was baptized for the forgiveness of sins and so started his new mission to convert his fellow Jews rather than persecute his new brothers in Christ.  Paul was a changed man when he encountered Jesus' presence and forgivenes, and he never looked back.  

Paul uses his story to connect with the Jews who wanted to stone him and get rid of him.  It was as if he said to them, "I was just like you all, until I had an encounter with Jesus. Jesus me me and my life was dramatically changed." (Guzik) Fortunately Paul was a Roman citizen so the Roman commander couldn't do what the Jews wanted to do him.  So what can we learn from this story of Paul's conversion?

1. Paul's conversion came as he personally encountered Jesus. Though not many have had Paul's experience, a lot of people have experienced Jesus' love for them in a personal and direct way.  This usually came through another person who shared the Good News about Jesus in a winsome way.  It could have been a pastor, missionary, friend, or family member.  When we heard the story of Jesus' great love for us and accepted what he did for us in faith, we received the gift and power of the Holy Spirit as proof and assurance we were saved. 
2. Though Paul tried to share his story with his Jewish brother and sisters, they rejected him.  Jesus said, "A prophet is not accepted in his hometown."  Sometimes the hardest people to reach with the Gospel are those closest to you.  Paul was sent to the Gentiles who were despised by the Jews, who justified their hatred based on the Law of Moses.  Obviously they misinterpreted it as the Old Testament is clear about God's love for all people.  
3. Paul was forever humbled by God's grace which accepted a sinner like him. Paul realized that he didn't deserve God's gift of grace. After all he approved of the killing of Stephen and was zealous round out and kill more.  Paul's testimony was so authentic because people knew the Paul before he was converted, and the post conversion Paul.  Paul was radically and totally transformed by his experience of meeting Jesus and being baptized for the forgiveness of his sins.  

Though you may not be like Paul.  You have a story to tell. Like Paul, you are a sinner saved only by God's grace in Christ.  I know I have done many things I am not proud of. I did not deserve God's grace but he gave it to me freely out of pure love.  My life has been changed by my conversion to Christ, though I still battle against the sinful nature and fall far short of being like Christ.  But I cling to God's grace and what he did for me in Christ and preach from my personal experience what he has done for me.  Friends, we all like Paul are called to reach to out people who are not necessarily like us.  We don't have to be perfect.  We don't have to be talented.  All we need is what God has done for us, our faith, and a willingness to go where God calls us to go!