Conversion Stories from the NT - Paul
Sometimes conversions are just unbelievable. They “fall from heaven” so to speak. There is no evangelist, no gospel presentation, no explanation of the law, it just happens – God does all the work. While not the norm, it can happen. God is sovereign enough to make it happen.
For example, the apostle Paul’s conversion – fell from heaven. He’s busy “breathing murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.” On the road to Damascus, God interrupts his life. Read it yourself in Acts 9.
It was a dramatic encounter – voice from heaven, bright lights, temporary blindness. Paul’s travel companions heard the sound, they were dumbfounded – they were speechless.
While praying after the event, Paul sees a vision of a man named Ananias (small detail revealed by God) coming to lay hands on him. God, working both sides of the equation, sends Ananias to go and do that thing. Ananias lays hands on Paul and Paul is healed. He was baptized.
From what we know of the rest of Paul’s life from the New Testament, he grew in understanding what had happened to him.
Over time, the Lord revealed more about the richness of salvation, the wonder of grace, the relationship between the law and salvation, and how the gospel would go forth to the Gentiles. It is a plausible argument that Paul believed first, and then understood the richness of what happened to him.
It is my prayer that God in His sovereignty would bring more people into the Kingdom, even where there are no evangelists.
While not the normal approach to evangelism, we can’t exclude that it may happen. God can reveal Christ to people without us, should He choose.
Over the next few days, we’ll look at a couple more conversion stories in the New Testament and see what we might learn about the conversion experience.
Let me ask you this?
Would you pray for more conversions that fall from heaven?
For the series:
The Apostle Paul
Simon the Sorcerer
Ethiopian Eunuch
Psidian Antioch
Sergius Paulus
Cornelius
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I have heard from Turkish missionaries that they are leading more than half of their new converts to Christ after dreams in which Jesus reveals himself to the unbelievers, cool huh?
I recall hearing similar things during missions classes. God, who is all sovereign, uses just the right means to reach those He has and is calling to Himself.
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