Open your eyes to God's amazing truth. Acts 26:17b-18

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I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.
I have always been fascinated by the illustrations of light in the Bible. You know, God is light, right? Evil hates the light, because it exposes our dark deeds. We turn away from the light of the Word that became flesh because we cherish our sinful pleasures. In darkness, we learn to indulge in our selfishness, in our passions, in our debauchery, in our drunkenness, eventually losing sight of real life in God, the life was the light of men (John 1:4).

And so in today's reading I couldn't help but spend a lot of time here in chapter 26. But unlike some of my previous studies of light, I was captivated by Paul's account of his conversion.

This is the third time in Acts of the Apostles we hear the story of Saul's journey to Damascus. The first time, in Acts 9, we get the story as told by Luke. There, Saul was still breathing murderous threats against the Lord's disciples when Jesus appeared to him in amazing grace, in all his amazingly glorious brilliance -- a blinding light that drops Saul to his knees. There, on the road, in a most unusual place in life, Jesus blinded him and called him out for his unbelief. "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Jesus declares. "Saul, Saul, why are you not opening your eyes to the truth. Don't you remember the Word, the truth?"

The Bible is true, every last iota of it. Don't think for a second that any of it isn't either.

Saul's story reminds me of my own conversion as an adult, the day the Holy Spirit immersed me. Now I had been raised in faith. There's never been a doubt in my life that God is real. But there certainly was a time when I doubted the Word; you can call it the Bible, if you wish.

Paul's conversion happened on the road to Damascus. Mine happened in 1994 or 1995 during lunch. I was in a crowded gymnasium when I saw my pastor across the room. "I should go thank pastor," I thought. So I walked across the room, and just as I was about to speak, before pastor and I had even made eye contact, the Holy Spirit hit me: "You've are forgiven," is all I heard. And so, right there, I started bawling. My life has never been the same.

Neither was Saul's, which is why this story always gets to me. After being brought to his knees, Jesus told him to find Ananias, who we learn in Acts 22 laid hands on him, healed him, and declared, "The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear the words from his mouth. You will be his witness to what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name."

Paul's life is instantly changed, much like mine has been. But let's not compare me to Paul, please. I haven't given up everything to follow him. I haven't received even one lashing for proclaiming my faith; Paul received forty lashes minus one five times, was struck with rods three times, was stoned once, was shipwrecked three times, and spent a night and day in the open sea. He was hungry, thirsty, living in constant danger. I can't even imagine it.

Now, here he is in Acts 26, chosen by God -- much like Ezekiel (Eze 2:1), Daniel (Dan. 10:11), Jeremiah (Jer. 1:8) -- to stand tall and call on everyone who will listen to turn to God. "Open your eyes," God told Saul. "Open your eyes and believe! The message you have been hearing all your life is true. The stories Moses and the prophets told are true. The great I Am showed himself to the world, and is offering redemption to everyone who will turn, turn and believe."

The stories Saul heard all of his life were true: In the beginning, after Adam and Eve were found walking toward darkness, God declared to Moses that he would redeem man and destroy evil (Gen. 3:15); that all who turn to him would live (Num. 21:9); that we must listen to Jesus (Deut. 18:15). The prophets Isaiah, Malachi and Micah, in particular, all spelled out who Jesus was. It's all true, Saul discovered.

Like Jesus did for me in a church gymnasium, you too can find forgiveness that lasts an eternity. Jesus, the light of the world, will drop the scales covering your eyes, just like he did for Saul. He will forgive you, just like he did me, and give us a place in heaven ... if we will just believe.

There are no strings attached.

Just believe.


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