And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what will You have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do(Acts 9:6).

The conversion of Saul of Tarsus was, without a doubt, one of the greatest conversions in the annals of human history. There is a good possibility that Stephen's words and behavior had a great effect on him. He watched Stephen being stoned as he called upon God, saying,"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Saul was also watching as the martyr knelt down and cried with a loud voice, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge"(Acts 7 :59-60).

This is where conviction on Saul by the Holy Spirit began. However, Saul reacted to that conviction, even as many do, by exhibiting more hatred against the followers of Christ. "He made havoc of the Church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committing them to prison"(Acts 8:3). His anger became so pronounced that the Holy Spirit recorded him as "breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord"(Acts 9:1).

It was with this frame of mind, fighting conviction by being ever more oppressive, that Saul went to Damascus in order to extend his violent reach. But something happened that would change his life forever, something so dramatic that he oftentimes was compelled to relate the experience.

As he came near Damascus, the Scripture says, "Suddenly there shined round about him a light from Heaven" (Acts 9:3). He then heard a voice and he also saw the Lord(Acts 9:17). One glimpse of Jesus undid all his arguments, discomfiting him in every capacity. Zealous as he was for the Law, yet found he that he was fighting against God and destroying his people.

The Scripture says,"And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what will You have me to do?"(Acts 9:6). At that moment, Saul of Tarsus gave his heart and life to Jesus Christ. It is amazing that when he asked, "Who are You, Lord?" the Lord answered him by using the name that Paul hated the most, "Jesus"(Acts 9:5).

Ironically enough, it was to this man that the Lord would give the meaning of the New Covenant, which was, and is, the meaning of the Cross. He would be the Masterbuilder of the Church(1Cor.3:10). The Lord would show Paul the victory of the Cross, not only as it refers to the Salvation of the soul, but also to the Sanctification of the Saint(Rom.,Chpt.6).

Some have asked the question, "What is the origin of Western Civilization?" If you know your Bible, the answer is simple. The little Jew from Tarsus is more responsible for Western Civilization than any man who has ever lived. It was his Gospel that pushed west, touching most of Europe, finally going to England, and then untimately to the Unithed States and elsewhere in the world. Paul is responsible for that which we referred to as "Western Civilization."

This Civilization, the envy of the world, enjoying the greatest prosperity and the greatest freedoms of all, can trace its origin to the Jew from Tarsus, i.e.,"the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Thank You Jesus


Thank You Jesus for Allowing Paul to do This: