so that you may see clearly

Text: Acts 9:1-19

So you know the Paul we read about yesterday?  Today we’re taking a step back in time to learn more about his story.

The Saul we are reading about today is the same man we read about named Paul.  Have I completely confused you yet?

Talk about a fresh start—an amazing story of redemption and new beginning.

Let’s first look at how God used Paul, a changed man.  A man covered by grace from the Most High.

• He took 3 long missionary journeys, planting churches, preaching the gospel and encouraging his fellow believers.
• Paul had a gift of explaining the gospel in a way that resonates with us today just as it did many years ago.

Would you believe that this same man was at one time persecuting the believers?  Paul wasn’t just a non-believer, he was actively seeking out men and women who were following Christ: throwing them in jail or worse, killing them.

But God chose Him.  He met Saul and blinded him, so that he might see the truth.

Do you look at your past and believe the lies that you’re too messy to clean up?  Too broken to be fixed?  Are you struggling to believe that His grace and forgiveness covers whatever is in your past? Paul tells us later on in Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-” [NIV]

It is a gift.  It is by grace.
There is nothing you can do to make Him love you more.
There is no sin too great for Him.
There is no stain He can’t wash away.

Saul was walking down a path of destruction: God met Saul where he was.

Ask Him today to meet you where you are.

He will.

It may not look the way you expect it to look—you may be blinded, so that you might see clearly.  Sister, there is a fresh start and a new beginning just waiting to be given to you.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 8:38-39, NIV, emphasis added]