Acts 9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
This passage of scripture describes for us the great change that was brought about in Paul, formerly Saul, as he was accosted by the Lord Jesus in his relentless persecution of Christ's disciples. Saul was present at the stoning of Stephen, and as he listened to the dying martyr's testimony which, could not denied or refuted, his mind must have troubled him greatly. But as is often the case when the truth is brought home to the carnal heart, there is a deliberate resistance to the pricks of conscience, and instead of surrendering to what we know is right, we sometimes go further in wrong doing, until like Saul in the story, the Lord has to intervene in a direct manner in order to save us from ourselves.
However, what is note-worthy in this instance is that Saul finally surrendered to Christ, and was thereby enabled by God to become one of the greatest champions of the gospel, baptizing many thousands of new converts in different lands, and writing several books of the new testament, whereby millions of Christians continue to be edified.
Now while it is not necessary to have a Damascus road experience in order to surrender ourselves to God, it is of critical importance that we act upon the evidences of God's word and the promptings of the Holy Spirit when He points us in a certain direction of truth and duty. The initial resistance to the truth, especially when one or more of our pet sins are touched, or some cherished habit is revealed, is normal, though not to be encouraged, for the Bible teaches us that the natural man does not initially receive the things of the Spirit of God. However, when an increased and clearer knowledge of truth is imparted to us, it is right and important that we act upon it promptly, for delay can cause not only harm, but a gradual diminishing of the impressions of conscience that once animated us.
In our day, this is exactly what is taking place in the increasing moral decay of the fabric of our society, for sins, that as a nation and individuals we once recoiled from in horror, are now rapidly gaining popularity amongst the majority of people, and thereby the authority is literally given to political and religious leaders to legislate iniquity and enforce idolatry. But like Saul we are headed for a Damascus road experience, in which the Lord Himself will take matters into His own hands, and if like Saul we surrender to what we already know is right, then God is willing to heal and restore us on an individual and also a national level. Let's read:
2nd Chronicles 7:13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
In the many irresolvable problems that are arising from day to day, both nationally and internationally, we should see a call to repentance and conversion. The humanitarian crisis at our borders, the violence in the middle east that is scheduled to escalate drastically, the political stalemate that prevents the resolution of problems and healing of relationships, all of these and more are wake up calls, showing us that we are "kicking against the pricks", and thus the God of heaven is calling us all to repentance and permanent conversion to the truth.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which teaches us that we should never trifle with our day of grace, for we are not guaranteed tomorrow, and thus it is the will of God, that we take proactive steps in acknowledging and implementing the truths we know, and are convicted of. Let's read:
Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
May the voice of God speaking to us through the scriptures and The Holy Spirit, resonate in our consciences to change us from the inside out. "Good night" and God bless!