From Terrorist to Evangelist: God didn't give up on Saul and He won't give up on you!

Wow, is the only thing that I can think to say and that's not even close to being sufficient when reviewing the life and works of a missionary by the name of Paul. When you see the scope of Paul's work, the letters he wrote, the churches he planted, the men and women whose lives were changed forever because of his faithfulness. I'm not sure there has ever been a more effective or a more prolific missionary for Christ than his servant Paul.

A man like this must surely have walked in close connection with Christ on earth right? Surely he was a part of Jesus' inner circle.

Not a chance. We know this based on the personal testimony we see here in Galatians 1:11-24 and the account in Acts 9 of a man by the name of Saul on the road to Damascus. Saul, an up and coming Pharisee, a pupil of the well-known Hebrew scholar Rabbi Gamaliel. 

Saul followed in his teacher's footsteps with his passion for the Torah, and his understanding and reverence of Yahweh.  This passion is why we are not surprised to see a young Saul with the coats of those stoning Stephen laid at his feet in Acts 7:58 and then are introduced to Saul the Persecutor in Acts 8. Saul was in his mind being obedient to the Holy Scriptures and as a result protecting the church. 

Having the completed picture we know better, we see Saul for the legalist that he was. That was until God got a hold of him. 

In Acts 9 Saul had a confrontation with Christ (who had already ascended to heaven at this point) while on the road to Damascus. Following this life changing experience Saul, whose name was changed by God to Paul dedicated his life to the spread of the good news of Jesus rather than the persecution of the followers of Christ. 

What does this all mean for us today? Well for starters it goes to show it doesn't matter who you are or what you have done God can still use you. 

Paul, before his conversion to Christianity, was a killer of Christians. He was by definition a terrorist. A religious extremist. But God brought him out of that life into a new life. God can do the same for you today! God wants to do the same for you if you would let him! Will you heed his call in your heart?

Hope to see ya Sunday!