Jump Start # 1268

Acts 9:4 “And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’”

  Our verse today comes from the vision that Saul had while on his way to Damascus. He was in route to round up more Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem. There the Christians would be jailed, possibly tried in a Jewish court and executed. Saul was aggressive in what he was doing. He wanted to stamp out Christianity. He did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. He did not believe the claims that Jesus was God. To Saul, this was all blasphemy and the O.T. law which governed his life told him that blasphemers were to be put to death. Too many Jews were becoming Christians. This was more than a nuisance, it was a real problem and a real threat. Saul was a hero among the loyal Jews. He was leading the charge in stopping this rapid growth of Christianity. The multitude that were baptized in Acts 2 had scattered. Saul was on the hunt. He even arrested women. It didn’t matter to him. To Saul, he was doing what was right.

But on this trip to Damascus, something truly miraculous happened. The Lord appeared to Saul in a vision. The Lord asked, “Why are you persecuting Me?” At that instant, at the moment, the wheels stopped and Saul realized for the first time that the crucified Jesus was alive. He realized that Jesus spoke from Heaven. He now understood that Jesus was God. Now, for the first time Saul realized that he was wrong. What he was doing was wrong. God approved of Christians. They were not blasphemers. Three days later, Saul became one of those Christians.

In the midst of this great story is that one incredible moment, it happens to most of us, when we realize that we are not right. Worse for Saul, he not only thought that he was right, he thought he was doing what the Bible taught. He had Scripture backing to support his actions. He was wrong.

The final step before someone quits fighting God and they become a Christian is when they realize that they are not right. It’s a scary feeling. It is sickening. It puts one at an uncomfortable place. Being wrong isn’t something that we like. Nothing is worse than being wrong with God.

Remember in school, when you took a test and you felt good about the test, but when the papers were returned, you were wrong. You did poorly on the test. Terrible feeling. You were shocked.

Remember when you were wrong about a person. You thought a certain person was nice, kind and a friend. Maybe you dated him. Maybe you included him in your home only to find out later you were wrong. He wasn’t nice. He wasn’t a friend. He used you. He was mean. What a terrible feeling that was.

Remember those happy occasions you worshipped with your family in church services. You liked the people and you liked what was going on. Later you looked deeply in your Bible and you realized that there were multiple doctrinal problems with what was being taught and believed in that church. That sick feeling came upon you. They are not right. I am not right. They are not following the Bible. They skimmed over things. They avoided things. They didn’t talk about many things. They convinced you and everyone that those things do not matter. Yet they are in the Bible, shouldn’t they matter?

I’ve met many people who have been at that uncomfortable place in their lives. They now realize that what they thought and what they believed is not taught in the Bible. They are wrong. It’s one thing for one outside of Christ, who is living that downward spiral of sin to be wrong. The addictions, the selfishness and life without God is apparent and it’s taking a toll on relationships, health and peace of mind. Sin does that. Sin destroys. Sin doesn’t make a marriage stronger, it destroys it. Sin doesn’t bring you closer to your family, it pulls you apart. Sin doesn’t make you a better person, it brings out the worst in you. But it is much harder for someone who has chosen to give up sin. They have started following Christ. They have made strides with their attitudes. They are building character. They have surrounded themselves with quality people. Things are shaping up. Things are looking good. Then they discover the truth. Several things are good and right, but there are things that are not right. There are things being done that are just not in the Bible.

Oh, that terrible feeling, like Saul had, on that Damascus road, when he faced the truth that he had been wrong. Religiously wrong is one of the hardest things to face and come to terms with. Often, family is in the way. Often, the ties to friends and wonderful activities get in the way.

What is one to do when they realize this? For some, they simply don’t think about it. They focus upon what they like and what is good. Had Saul taken that approach he would have found a way to continue chasing Christians. Still others, try to nit pick the truth that they have discovered. They find ways to point fingers and justify remaining as they are. Saul didn’t do that either.

God brought someone to Saul. He taught him the truth. Saul then had to make a decision. Remain a Jew and chase Christians, or give up Judaism and become a Christian. The change wasn’t small. Sabbath to Sunday, Old Testament to New Testament, dead sacrifices to living sacrifices, worship in Jerusalem to worshipping anywhere. No longer needing a priest like the Old Testament system. No longer restricted by the laws of the Old Testament. All of Saul’s people were Jews. His family. His parents. His friends. Everywhere he looked, there were Jews. He was one of them. He liked being a Jew. It had been good for him. He was going places in Judaism. He was on track to being a rabbi someday. He was well taught and understood  it well and took it seriously. But he was wrong.  What Saul experienced in his mind is what many people face today. Family history in a faith that is not supported by the Bible. Doing things that you enjoy but now realize are wrong. It is not easy making that break. For Saul, leaving Judaism, especially for Christianity, would mean that he was banned from the family and now his name would go on the list of those being hunted. His life went from easy to hard when he became a Christian. Friends would no longer talk to him. He would be consider a traitor, one who sold out. Derogatory and mean things would be said about him, to his face and especially behind his back. Going to Christianity meant his world as he knew it was coming apart. He would no longer be welcomed in his beloved Jerusalem. He would have to watch his back.

Why do it? Why change? It definitely wasn’t a step up in gaining friends. It wasn’t going to make his life easier. Why? Because it was the right thing to do. Jesus was the Messiah. Leaving what was wrong for what is right, no matter what the consequences, is always the best thing to do.

Many stand in Saul’s place today. They know that they are in religious error. They are not happy. They want to leave but are afraid. They don’t want to face their family. They can’t tell their friends. They dread going to worship because they now know what is right. They know that they need to leave but they can’t. For some, they don’t. They never do. Others, like Saul, eventually get the courage to do what is right. They start following the Bible pattern. They suffer, as Saul did. Family get togethers are tense because they no longer worship as the rest of the family does. Friends shun them. They have done what is right, but feel alone and isolated.

Take courage in what Saul did. He found a life with Christ that was right. He found the family in Christ, Christians. They became his new friends. He never looked back. He never went back. He knew what was right and charted a new course that included Jesus Christ.

I write these words for some who know exactly what I’m talking about. You are scared. You are afraid. You know what is right and you know a change needs to be made. Look to the life of Saul. Do what is right. Put your trust in the Lord. He supports those who choose to follow Him. Don’t compromise. Don’t find a way to merge truth and error together. Don’t sell out. When you know what is right, follow that.

What a great lesson we learn from Saul.

May this help you as you strive to do what is right.

Roger