Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Salvation: The Greatest Transformation

Previously we spoke about Saul transitioning from a passive observer of sin to an active participant. It cannot be overstated just how active Saul truly became in sin. This guy was not just simply walking away from God, he was actively attacking his people. Saul undoubtedly became the most feared man among early Christians. If someone were to research Saul's life, they would be horrified at the things we did to the church and Jesus' followers.

The funny thing about it though is that Saul was very religious. He himself admitted in scripture that he was a Jew among the Jews. He was very well educated on the major religious principles of the day and as well respected among his peers. His religion had become distorted and the church was suffering for it. I cannot help but wonder if the Church (the overall church, not one specific group of believers) has some very  well-intended Saul's in its midst. These are the guys who look like they know just about everything about everything, but are destructive in their approach to religion.

Many of us who live in the Church world who run into these guys do everything we can to avoid them. It is a good thing that God does not read from our playbook. God did not avoid Saul, nor did he allow Saul to continue persecuting his Church. Rather, God confronted Saul on the road to Damascus and changed his life. He got a hold of Saul in a way that Saul could not ignore and miraculously brought him to a point of transition. Saul would not simply transition into a relationship with Jesus Christ, but he transformed into a radical servant of the one true King.

If you are reading this and you relate to Saul before God got a hold of him, we want you to know that God can transform you as well. You are never too much of a sinner to where you cannot be redeemed. Allow God to meet you on the road right where you are and open your eyes like he did to Saul. If you are a believer and you run into a Saul character, do not run and do not hide. Engage them and allow God to use you as the catalyst of transformation in that person's life. You may not have to look much further than your own congregation to find someone who is destructively religious and needs the transformative power of Jesus Christ.

-Pastor Ethan