Few people have exemplified righteous indignation as the man we have come to know as Saul. The Scriptures teach that Saul allowed himself to witness the murder of another human being and willingly joined the activity by holding the mob’s outer garments (Acts 7:58, NKJV). Apparently, Young Saul believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was earning his heavenly reward by taking justice along with the other spiritually uncircumcised crew (Acts 7:51). What an uproar and travesty in righteousness!
Many years would pass before this now older man would record, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). This doesn’t really seem to “track” when we compare the life of the former and latter author. The words and actions come from the same man. Younger at one point, yes…grew and matured, obviously. Aging alone is never what drives one from naivety to a greater wealth of maturity. So, what was the impetus behind the transformation of Saul to Paul? It must be the Scriptures! Paul wrote that in his former life; the things he had mastered were proven from “unbelief” (1 Timothy 1:13). His skepticism and denial of ALL THAT IS RIGHT came from an unwillingness to accept that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God! (John 8:24).
Like today, many religious people are willing to die in unbelief. They are certain of a faith, which is not Biblical in construct, that it will save them and prove them justified on the last day. But these also fail to follow the witness of Isaiah as he stated, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them” (John 12:40). Like Saul, one becomes blinded by their own form of unlawful judic behavior based solely on what they understand, know, or have been told OUTSIDE the totality of Scripture (Psalm 119:160). They forget there must be an acknowledgment of God (John 3:18). A belief grounded in the fact that God is right, has been right, and always will be right over His Creation (Hebrews 11:1). And most endearingly, as I believe Saul came to acknowledge, one MUST become a debtor to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and spend the rest of their lives in service to Him through the Spirit captured by the Word (Galatians 2:20-21). Are you a debtor? I hope you KNOW that you are and LIVE as we see Paul demonstrate in his life in Damascus, not before (Acts 9:6). Think about these things, and God Bless,
Archie R. Green
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