Evening star., 1925-05-16
Sunday School Lesson

who had fed there on the breaking
out Of the Jerusalem persecution
Saul's Conversion.
During his jealous efforts to crush
out the church in Jerusalem we have
no record of God interfering. He
desired them to go forth and preach
colonizing in Jerusalem. All this was
changed when they were scattered
abroad by Saurs efforts. When the
prosecutor started to extend his
operations he was stopped by a
spectacular and supernatural expert
elce that made e. sudden and spiritual
transformation of Saul. While his
conversion was without precedent in
it's physical and dramatic manifesto
tions. we find in his regeneration the
same principles that characterizes
every conversion. Washington heard
the testimony of many "twiceborn
men, during the recent mission
workers convention, whose miracles
of salvation were as sudden and last
ing as that Of the hero Of our lesson
today. Conversion is not an alb.
normal experience. 1t is a universal
human need. It is the natural ex-
perience in every persons religious
life.
During the Journey from Jerusalem
to Damascus he had enforced leisure.
In the silence of the desert, while
they rested, 1t was impossible for
Saul to escape considering Jesus.
Uon his trip from Jerusalem the
prosecutor had met daily memories of
the Nazarene and His work. Just
as the sight of the worlds oldest city
appeared to break upon his vision he
met the crisis of his life. 1t was d
moment of challenge. Suddenly he
found himself face to face with
the Lord Jesus. 1t was not the fancy
of a feverish mind, for the appear
ance Of the risen Savior was un-
expected, undesired and unimaginable
TO him. 1t was through the thun-
der of the sudden midday storm that
he, heard the voice of Jesus saying
until him, saul. Saul. why perse-
cutest thou Me?" The binding light,
the vision of the Lord and His voice
that identified himself with His dis
ciples filled the trembling soul with
conviction.
When in answer to his question
Jesus identified Himself as the one
whom Saul had been prosecuting, the
"torrential nature" of the convicted
sinner did not hesitate to acknowl-
edge the supremacy of the risen
Christ. He Immediately expressed the
desire to obey the enthroned Savior
who had made it clear to Saul that
He was bound to every one of His
subjects. That moment when it was
the good pleasure of God to, reveal
His Son" unto Saul was the hour of
his conversion and of his call to be
an apostle.
The Obedient Servant.
Although Saul's conversion was i'm
mediate and a complete turning
around, he rose from his spiritual
new birth in physical darkness. The
change was quick and rapid. It took
Saul fully three days of communion
with his newly found Master to un-
derstand the meaning of being new
creation in Christ Jesus. He came to
recognize clearly its significance. He
knew now the truth that Stephen
and the Christians had proclaimed
that Jesus was risen and that He
was the Christ. He also learned that
the way of righteousness. marked by
doing deeds of the law, which he had
pursued was a failure. In his desire
for more light the same Jesus had
made it evident to him that a man
named Ananias would come and aid
him to receive his sight"
While Saul did not owe his con.
version to the work of any one man,
the Lord. called a devout disciple
named Ananias to visit him and give
unto the praying disciple, who had
started out to destroy him and all
the other refugees. the light of his
eyes and of the Holy Spirit. Natu-
rally he hesitated and then went in
true brotherly spirit to help Saul
To the. one who was suffering from
his blindness and waiting for his
coming the words of Ananias brought
cheer, comfort and courage In
| answer to the prayer of the brother
disciple, Saul received his. sight and
the gift of the Holy Spirit. Straight
way he was given his sight and
he arose and was baptized" by
Ananias. He was not ashamed TO
obey the Lord or to be counted
among His followers. Looking back
upon that event, Saul tells us that
his conversion was like a new birth.
IF any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature" ---