1Timothy 1:13-15 - ... I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

We all start in darkness, blindness, ignorance, unbelief and denial. But God...

Oh, that unbelief. We can know who Jesus is and still not have belief. Even churches vary in their beliefs. Some teach unsound doctrine, twist scripture or teach outright falsities. It's why we need to know Jesus and the truth of His Word, not a man's.

So here we have the Apostle Paul. He admits to have been (one of) the worst of the worst. He has shared a lot in the Epistles of the New Testament of his conversion, the truth that was revealed to him, the change that took place and his eventual dedication to God and sharing of the Gospel wherever he was sent.

We think we know it all. We think we know what we need to know for right now, today, for whatever suits us. There is a world beyond ourselves and our wants. Sure, we need money, food, a house and transportation. God allows us certain niceties too.

However, it’s not about the here and now but about eternity. It's about all of us sinners that Jesus came to die for. The Bible says, For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. (1John 2:16)  We have things in this world to get us by, but our eternal life is what is most important. Ask anyone who has gotten dreadful health news or gone bankrupt or everything lost in a fire. Sometimes we have to lose something in order to know what’s most important. Jesus said this: For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? (Mark 8:36)  Nothing more important than your soul. The Word says to lose is to gain.

The Bible also shows us that if we choose to trust in Christ, all we need (not want) will be given to us, those things necessary for life. Through our knowledge of Him and gaining His wisdom we realize the important things. We’ll be satisfied with basics. I don’t care about the size of my house but I do so enjoy seeing what’s outside the windows. To watch God's creation grow, flourish, fade and die knowing it will start all over again! Wow. God doing what He does.

So, where am I heading with these thoughts?? I was a sinner saved by the grace and mercy of our God. I had nothing to contribute to this but accepting His offer. The truth of Christ became part of my life. I see what’s most important. I love that I can talk directly to God and know He hears and even answers requests. I love that there are people in my life who share this wisdom, who can spend time talking about the things of God, who just understand. There’s a unity and it’s center cord is Christ. Had it not been for Him I’d still be in darkness, blindness, ignorance, unbelief and denial. We can all have those conversion moments, maybe not all like Paul’s, but it can happen. We are all ignorant of the real truth until we really yearn for it.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus...(1Timothy 2:3-5)

1John 5:20 - And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

Yes, Big Change!

Acts 8:3,9:1 - As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest...

My mind bounced quickly from one thing to another. Everything is connected! And somehow it all goes back to God. Everything, it seems, is connected to Him. But I haven't always thought like this. I believed differently. My idea of truth was different. 

I was contemplating a statement in our Bible Study Fellowship notes, Lesson 4. God proved His love and concern for human suffering at the cross. To save sinners from the judgment we deserve, God willingly gave His Son to suffer for us. Had His love been less--had there been another way--God would never have sent His beloved Son. Until we receive God's love by faith in His gift of Him Son, we are all perishing.

I began to think of times when "good" people die and "bad" people live. Take a car accident. You have an intoxicated driver who crosses over the middle of the road to oncoming traffic and kills the driver of the other vehicle but he/she survives. Doesn't seem fair, does it? We don't know the mind of God in this. We do know that there is great sin in this world, of which we all are guilty. Neither of these people were good in God's eyes (and why God provided a way). In this instance the one who lives will live with the guilt of what he/she has done the rest of their life. Quite a burden. However...through this, the person might seek God, receive His forgiveness and begin to serve Him. This person's sin can be forgiven. 

I thought of Saul. He persecuted Christians. It's one of my favorite stories. One day on his way to do more persecuting, he had an encounter with God:
As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:3-6)

In an instant Saul changed...big time. This is how we all are before we know the Lord. All of us. Saul's name was then changed to Paul. A Matthew Henry commentary says this about his name change: He had two names, a Hebrew name, Saul, and a Roman name, Paul. He was to be sent out to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles so He used his Roman name.

God changed Saul and then used the man who hated Christians to point people to Christ. So it shows He can use anyone...after they have been changed...forgiven, humbled and ready to serve God. In fact later in the New Testament Paul is speaking and he states: This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. (1Timothy 1:15)

I think back before I knew Christ. How I pushed Him away. Walls went up around my heart and spirit. I was not going any further in knowing Him than my intellectual understanding. I was not going to let my heart know Him. This is kicking against the goads! I could say I was a chief sinner too. Many are in this place. Many are even farther away in full rejection of Him. This is rejecting Him. We can choose to continue to reject or we can allow Him to change us. It's for our own good that He does. I just know that my heart changed in a split second and it allowed God to enter in and do even greater changes. Any heart can be changed in an instant. Nothing is impossible with God.

Going back to the BSF note. We all deserve God's judgment. God does not relish in seeing people die. But it happens. It happens to "good" people as well as "evil." But think about what God did for us. He willingly gave up His own Son to suffer for us, to be the sacrifice for our sins...if we would turn to Him, humble ourselves and serve Him. He willingly gave His Son. And His Son willingly obeyed His Father. For us.

Saul/Paul underwent a big change. God can do this in all of us. It's a very good thing. It's life saving, eternal. 

Acts 9:20-22 - 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.