Jesus Can Change Them

Have you heard that old expression, “A leopard can’t change his spots”? While this is true, the One who created the leopard actually can! 

Consider Saul of Tarsus who was born a Jew, to parents who had Roman citizenship. This was a coveted privilege that Saul also had. He was well-educated, having studied under the famous Rabbi Gamaliel. Saul became a high-ranking Pharisee (religious leader) and was quite possibly present at the time of Stephen’s trial and subsequent public stoning. Stephen was the first Christian martyr and, in Acts 8:1, Luke tells us that Saul “approved of his execution”. 

Following the stoning of Stephen, Saul expanded his attack on Christians, arresting and imprisoning them. His hatred for Jesus and for Christ's followers fueled his zealous rage against them. 

What’s sobering to me is that Saul undoubtedly believed he was doing the right thing by God. He knew the ancient scriptures, but he knew nothing of the heart of God. That is, until the day he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Saul was on his way to deliver an important letter from the high priest of the temple in Jerusalem, giving him authority to arrest any who belonged to the Way, that is, followers of Jesus. 

Yes, Saul was traveling the road to Damascus on a mission to arrest and persecute even more Christians when a bright light shone down on him. Bright enough to drop him to his knees (along with the men who were accompanying him). He immediately realized he was in the presence of a deity, as he said, “Who are you, Lord?” (Acts 9:5). Then came the answer: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting”. Can you imagine what Saul must have felt? He thought he had it so right, yet he had it so very wrong. And in short order, he went from being blinded by hate to being literally blinded by love Himself (Jesus). Wow. 

You can read more about Saul’s road-to-Damascus-conversion in Acts 9. His response to Jesus’ question was an about-face of Biblical proportions! Once Saul, he became known as Paul. The same Paul, in fact, that wrote about ⅓ of the New Testament! A man once committed to killing Christians became a martyr for the same faith he had previously tried to destroy. And what happened in between was Jesus.

Paul’s conversion story was a dramatic one. From darkness to light, from hatred to sacrificial love, even to the point of his own death. A man who was once on a religious mission became a tender-hearted man who fought with God rather than against Him. His heart was changed when he met Jesus. Not all conversions are this dramatic, nor do they need to be. God can be glorified no matter your story.

Some of us yielded more easily to God while others had to get beat up by life a whole lot before coming to Christ. Think about someone in your life who you feel is beyond God’s grasp (we all have someone). You may know in your head that God can reach anyone, but do you believe deep down that He is able? While we know that God doesn’t bust down the door of our hearts and demand that we make Him Lord of our lives, we also know that He draws people to Himself. This is where we, as Christians are called to intercede in prayer for the lost. I know that oftentimes for me, pride is what stands in the way. Sometimes it’s apathy, especially if I’m called to pray for someone who is godless and, like Saul, is out to destroy followers of Jesus (insert most politicians’ names here). But church, we have to believe that everyone needs Jesus and that He alone can change hearts! Satan wants us sidelined. Angry, frustrated, and scared. But God! He can do signs and wonders today just like He did in the life of Saul! We can be witnesses to God’s awesome strength and power and we can even take part in it, just like Paul and the Apostles did, spreading the gospel!  I don’t know about you, but I need this reminder daily. The world is getting darker, but God’s light shines even brighter in the darkness. And while there may be serious persecution coming our way, it is in times like this that we see the good news spread like wildfire and revival happens. And may we not forget that this life is fleeting. A vapor in the wind. A blip on the radar. Let’s run the race marked out for us with perseverance, trusting the One who holds the whole world in His loving hands. 

If you struggle with believing God for Sau/Paul conversions, why not take some time to read Saul’s story and ask God to show you someone in your life who needs a radical transformation? Let’s not rule anyone out. There is nobody, regardless of their lifestyle choices who can’t be made whole with just a word from God. And when it happens, God is glorified and the body of believers rejoices! We get to bear witness to all that God can do!