Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1944-03-31


SAUL BECOMES A NEW MAN
LIssON TEXT. Acts s;l.s. is.lsa.
GOLDEN TEXT: II any man be In
Christ he 10 . new creature.--u Corin-
thiaAs SILT.
The lives Of great men inspire US
with IN eaeerness to make our own
lives count for God and for country
Particularly Is that true Of the life
ct The apostle Paul. for he combined
personal greatness with an absolute
surrender and devotion to Christ,
which made his life doubly effective,
We recall. however. that this peer
hess leader for Christ was at first
The bitter enemy Of everything
christian and we ask. What
changed this man." The answer is
the rcdeeming grace Of God-but
that . the story Of our lesson. He
became q changed man as he went
]. Frsa Threatening 10 Trembling
wv. LII.
The enemies Of God and Of our
cArist are often loudmouthed and
Incorporating individuals. who,
for . time. strike fear into the hearts
& men. Such was Saul Of Tarsus.
and such are the antichristian lead
ers Of our day. They seem to be
30 powerful and able to sweep all
before them.
But waitl Luther said Of Gods
archenemy. Zone little word shall
fell him." and II is true. See what
happened to Saul. on on his Jour-
neys Of persecution and destruction.
bold and determined, he met Jesus
ION the Damascus road. and the
great threatener is found to be
trembling and astonished" ". 81.
The Lord is still on His throne.
and one day every mouth shall be
stopped from. 3.l9. and all His
enemies shall tremble before Him,
Would that they would do it while
there Is time to repent.
u. From Prosecuting to Praying
WV. 2, 8. 0; see also v. III.
Paul utterly devoted to the root
ing out of this hated sect Of Chris
tians was on his way with letters
authorizing their Imprisonment. 1t
was all very official. jealous and
marvellous in mems sight. until he
met Jesus, and ii all blew away
Ananias, that faithful layman
(may his tribe increaseD. was
called Of God to go and speak to the
stricken Saul. When he feared to
20, God encouraged him ". l5). for
the powerful prosecutor had now be-
Neone. = penitent prayer ", ID.
440ls1 V11t face to face meeting
with Jesus did for Paul--yes. and
viii do for any man or woman
III. Erem Soothing to Suffering
wv. !, 1870.
Saul doubtless gloried in the
breathing out Of threatenings and
slaughter Of which we read in verse
]. He was riding high in the seat of
authority and Of official approval. 1t
was satisfying to his fieshly pride to
make known his dreadful purposes
Of destruction and Imprisonment for
these helpless Christians.
Did we say helpless? Oh, no, they
had on their side all the power Of
the Eternal One. He who touches
the people OF God touches the Lord
Himself. Paul thought he was fight
ing a little sect Of Christians, but
found that he was fighting the Lord
Himself ". 50.
But now that he had met Jesus
and was ready to turn in devotion to
His sacred cause, he was to learn
what it meant to suffer Let us note
well that suffering for the sake of
ones faith may be entirely within
the will of God, yes, and for His
glory.
~. From Spiritual Death 10 Splr-
itual Life (vv. IT'D.
Men have tried to explain the ex-
perience OF conversion on the ground
Of psychology. as cataclysmic'
change in the life Of an individual
who has gone through some great
sorrow or trial, but it simply will
not 20 down. There Is in real con-
version regeneration which means
q completely changed life.
Saul did have a sudden and NOV
Ing experience on the Damascus
road. but it was not just because
Of binding light and mighty
voice. 1t was a light from heaven"
". A.. and the voice Of the Lord.
Saul was filled with the Holy
Ghost" and received his sight. He
was ready now to be used of the
Lord as the greatest missionary
evangelist and theologian that the
world has ever known
This change was one which
reached down into his inmost being
and transformed his beliefs. The
Jesus he had hated, now became his
all consuming passion and love. He
no longer looked TO his works to
save him. for now he knew the per-
sonal Saviour.
What happened within showed II
SELF In his attitude toward those
without. II always does. He now
A. -