Summary:

A continuation of our survey of the book of Acts

Detail:

Acts 9:1-31

The Conversion of a Killer

1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. 23 When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket. 26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists, But they were seeking to kill him. 30 And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. 31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

Devotional

So many say that a person cannot change, especially those that have a clear internal issue. The problem though is this idea has no bearing in the gospel. God is in the business of changing people. Paul, by His own admission and this story in Acts was a violent persecutor and murderer of the church. God is in the business of transformation, or better yet disrupting our lives to conform them to the image of His own Son. One of the beautiful aspects of biblical narrative is it tells the story as you would assume people would react to Paul being brought into their midst; fear! Fanciful writing would have everyone automatically believing that Paul had turned a new leaf, but the early church simply wasn’t convinced. He had brutally killed off many of their kin, and now Ananias was bringing him in to the underground church? Even though they had been transformed by God’s saving grace, they still had this thought that maybe “I’m not as bad as him! There’s no way God should or could save him!” But that’s the beauty of grace; we all deserve death, yet grace intercedes on our behalf, including killers and rapists. There’s no way the world can consider such grace and forgiveness, which makes God’s grace so amazing, but what can’t be missed here, is the reason we think that killers and rapists shouldn’t be allowed in heaven, is because we still believe deep down that only those who earn their right should be there. We have a warped sense of justice, and don’t see ourselves as guilty enough to deserve the same wrath and justice afforded to killers and rapists!

Questions

Why do we struggle with this kind of grace?

Why do we think killers and rapists deserve hell, and we don’t?

What is the problem with this thinking?

How does the gospel disrupt this idea of justice?

Is God then unjust? Why? Why not?

What gives God the right to do what He does?