Sabbath: The Conversion of Paul
Image © Pacific Press from GoodSalt.com
Read for This Week’s Study: Acts 26:9-11, Deut. 21:23, Acts 9:1-20, 1 Cor. 9:1, Gal. 1:1, Acts 9:20-30.
Memory Text: ”Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15, NIV).
The conversion of Saul of Tarsus (who became Paul) was one of the most remarkable events in the history of the apostolic church. The importance of Paul, however, goes way beyond conversion itself, for Paul is certainly not the only enemy of the church to have become a genuine Christian. The issue, instead, relates to what he ended up doing for the sake of the gospel. Paul had been an incorrigible opponent to the early believers, and the harm he could have done to the infant church was enormous. He had both determination and official support to destroy the church. Yet, he responded faithfully to God’s call on the road to Damascus and became the greatest of the apostles. “From among the most bitter and relentless persecutors of the church of Christ, arose the ablest defender and most successful herald of the gospel.”—Ellen G. White, Sketches from the Life of Paul, p. 9.
Paul’s previous actions in persecuting the early church would always bring him a deep sense of his own unworthiness, though he could say with a still deeper sense of gratitude that God’s grace to him had not been in vain. With Paul’s conversion, Christianity changed forever.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 4.
(49)
Do not limit God in the power of his salvation.
He is able also to save forever (completely, perfectly, for eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede and intervene on their behalf [with God].
We need to think a bit more about the "now " of salvation. Salvation is as much about our relationship with God now than it is about a future eternity.
Paul was called by God as the other apostles were called directly by Jesus. One difference that makes remarkable this call is the moment when it happened. It was the jealousness of a man instigated by the evil that God used and transformed this man for the sake of the church. In addition, one important thing is the Paul, as a man, responded and immediately acted. His reaction is comparable to the reaction of King David when was compelled to see himself as a sinner, and the king immediately favourably reacted. Both changed their attitude as God’s men they were; both of them were against God, and both of them immediately accepted God’s commands. These examples are the same than the apostles, all of them immediately responded to the call, no hesitation at all, they abandoned everything in order to serve the Lord.
The love for our Lord is that makes us receive the Holy Spirit. Our love for God gives us the acceptance of God’s offers. The jealousness and the love for God’s law of the apostle Paul were redirected to the right way. He was confronted by Jesus making him understands how hard is to fight against God’s will.
Today is the same. Our responses to God’s commands are determined by the love we have for God. The Lord calls us, and we respond, then the Lord gives us His Holy Spirit. This reaction is called: Obedience..
How little can one do and still be considered a Christian?
Can one be a genuine Christian if they spend only 2% of their week going to church (140 out of 7000 waking minutes)?
Your question points out the futility of doing things. It is a bit like asking the question: What is the least number of house chores I can do and still be considered married? If I started asking Carmel those sorts of questions I would be in the dog-house permanently!
The answer is in the relationship!
That is one way of looking at brother Jim's response, I agree with him... If you don't do your bit in a marriage/relationship, you are only married on paper. You are for all practical purposes being unfaithful to your partner, and not doing what you promised to do at the altar. You are fooling yourself then that there is a reciprocal relationship. There is still a to "do" for both, otherwise you might as well be married to a robot! Yes, the emotional contributions is very important too, like with a rowing boat, you need two oars to reach a destination, otherwise you are putting a lot of effort in going nowhere, paddling in circles.
We are insulting God when we sit on a Sabbath in church; ooeee-ing and aah-ing about the wonderful message that are being preached... especially when the preacher is trying to portray to us that God is offering us the most exclusive wonderful, priceless gift in all of eternity and proverbially offering it to us, by painting this picture with wisdom and care from the Bible, trying to make it a real as possible so that we not only can identify with it but accept it as ours to keep, to nurture and to let it grow.
Then we leave church agreeing with everyone how wonderful that message was, but we do not take that gift and claim it as our own, and start using it. Unpack it, open it up to read the instructions, figuring out how to use it with His guidance and help... No nothing gets done about it... I can see in my minds I how many gifts God has tried to bestow upon us, squandered all over the church floor, because so many Christians thought it is enough just to say thank you for it, and admiring it from a distance.
If Bill Gates offers me a partnership in his co. and invites me to pitch up on Monday morning, and I would say: Wow! You want ME to be your partner???? And he says yes, come on Monday morning, see, I have reserved your office already, and your name already appears on the door. If I say Wow! You want ME to be your partner???? for 5 to 6 weeks in a row, but never pitches, he's going to know I am not really interested! I think sometimes we insult God's intelligence, and fool ourselves. Ignorance is not bliss, we are losing out big time!
This part of the lesson gives a message that even us as Christians of today we are like Saul in some many ways but God does not forget us and in the same way he changed Saul he too can change us to become the new Paul. God bless you
Paul a true apostle that testified of the risen saviour whom he was persecuting. What a transformation. Those who strongly oppose Christ today may one day strongly defend the faith. Let God use us only to share the message and not judge who should receive it.
Another amazing conversion story that rocked the world at the time was the conversion of Solomon. He had drifted so far form God that his conversion seemed hopeless. You might say he was hopelessly lost. Did God give upon him? No. God sent His prophet to warn him. God sent advisary to wake him up. He finally saw the light. He Acknowledged God as higher than he,and acknowledged the folly of his apostasy, turned to God, repented with a contrite heart. Served the God of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph,David and the God of you and I, rather than the gods of his wife’s, the rest of his life. Ecclesiastes 8:5-11. Ecclesiastes 9:3. Ecclesiastes 12:9-14. An also excellent God we serve. He sent His Son into this world to pave the way for us to be His brother, daughter, and friend. Soloman said great things come to those who turn to God. In Ecclesiastes 12:13. I believe means turn to God, keep His commandments. Soloman said: from experience that those who turn to God it is well with there soul. It is well with my soul. Ecclesiastes 8:12.