Paul was one of God’s chosen men to share the true gospel. He was one of the original first converts in a very different way than the other apostles who walked with him for 3 years. Paul wanted to be clear, when he wrote to the Galatians, that what was revealed to him was not of man but of God. In Galatians 1:12 Paul states, “For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” Jesus Christ himself gave it to him. 

In today’s world anyone who says God spoke directly to them, as in they heard an audible voice, we usually deem as not true. Why? There is no reason for God to be showing up in that way since we already have everything verified. Throughout history you will see God showing up in miraculous ways and audibly speaking to prophets, yet only at specific times, with sometimes hundreds of years passing without a word. We are living in possibly the longest length of time that there have not been major breaks in natural law, so of course we are skeptical when someone says they “heard the voice of God.” 

What about back then? I wonder how they felt. Were they skeptical? They must have been dealing with massive disbelief. It was so radically different from their foundational and traditional beliefs. To hear the gospel back then, breaking of natural law would be a benchmark to prove its veracity or truth. I wonder what ever happened to the other men who were with Paul on the road to Damascus? Did they become converts too? They all fell on the ground and the other men with him experienced something too. They saw the drastic change in Saul (Paul). They must have been dumbfounded. 

Are you saved? Have you been plucked out of the grip of Satan and given a new life in Christ? If so, then God chose you too! Not in the miraculous, blinding, way He approached Paul, but in a life changing way none the less. If you think about your conversion and then think about your life now, if you do not see any radical change, especially if you have been a “Christian” for a long long time, I encourage you to consider something important. The Bible says that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old self has passed away and the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17) This has to happen. Jesus himself said you must be born again to new life. (John 3:3)

If you have passed that off by saying “We all have a different conversion story and not everyone’s is a major shift,” I encourage you to take a step back and read your Bible again. I hear this time and time again in the American Christian circles. “I’ve always been a Christian.” “I got saved when I was 5.” “I grew up in the church, my dad was a pastor.” I am not saying for sure you are not saved, but you may want to check to see if you actually are bearing fruit. Do a fruit audit. Check to see if you are in the faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Work out your salvation with massive respect for who made you and the simple fact that you cannot put God on his knees before you and decide if and when you get saved. It is up to Him to call you. It is up to Him to bring the dead to life. God is sovereign. Study what that means. The magnitude of the importance of this is too huge. The ramifications are too important to let this slide. Yes it is scary and hard, but a blessing none the less. 

Can I do something as loving as I can think of for you? If you grew up in the church and were saved at an early age, may I be so bold as to throw a red flag on the play? Spend time to evaluate yourself. My heart breaks for the many, not the few, but the many who will some day stand in front of Jesus calling him a good friend, thinking they are saved, only to hear him tell that person to get away from him, and that he never knew them. (Matthew 7:21-23) Heartbreaking. Just heartbreaking. Don’t be one of the many. Be among the few. Ask the Holy Spirit to do a work in you, ask Him to reveal the absolute Truth to you. You will be blessed!