The Apostle Paul was not always just Paul the Apostle. Paul's birth name was Saul, named after King Saul by his parents. He was the son of a Pharisee and was born to follow his father's footsteps by also becoming a Pharisee. Pharisee (def) - a member of an ancient Jewish sect, distinguished by strict observance of the traditional and written law, and commonly held to have pretensions to superior sanctity. He was most definitely studying to be the best Pharisee he could be and he was totally against Jesus and His followers and vehemently fought to get them all killed if possible. Saul was rejecting the Holy Spirit so much that he was willing to kill those who had received the Holy Spirit to keep from changing. He was so willing that he agreed with some others to kill Stephen when Stephen called them out for their unbelief in the message of the resurrection for those who received Jesus. Acts 7: 51 “You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you!52 Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered.53 You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”
Those words got Stephen stoned. The conviction was too great for those listening and with Saul's permission, they stoned this great man of God and Saul even held their coats so they could throw their stones more effectively. Acts 8: 1 Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed with the killing of Stephen. While many were receiving the Holy Spirit and salvation was seen everywhere, Saul was not "having it." But God had a great plan for Saul's life and He pursued him to this end. Acts 9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. 3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” 5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”7 The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! 8 Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus.9 He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.
This Damascus Road experience changed Saul at his core and is a great example of the life change that happens when we are born again in the Spirit. No longer could Saul run from the Lord because Jesus met him and blinded him so he was not mobile anymore. He was blind and could not go anywhere and try to kill them for believing in Jesus. Life stalled!
Then God appeared to a man named Ananias who lived in Damascus and told him the following. Acts 9: 10 Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!“Yes, Lord!” he replied.11 The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. 12 I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”13 “But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! 14 And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”15 But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. 16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
Ananias had a choice. He could fall captive to his fears about Saul's reputation and not go to him, or he could follow God's prompting and go to Saul. Ananias chose wisely because he did not fight God's leading and here is what happened. Acts 9:17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength. Saul received the Holy Spirit he so vehemently had rejected for so many days and Jesus started a process in his life that changed the world forever.
It is amazing how much believers reject the Holy Spirit moving in their lives, not realizing that He is the power of our faith. It is amazing to think that many believers Reject the Holy Spirit after they receive Jesus by faith, and miss the power of the life they now have in Jesus. Like Saul, we run from the Holy Spirit and we KILL what could be done in our lives to keep from surrendering to His leading. If we hang up the phone we don't have to receive the message from the one on the other end and rejecting the Holy Spirit is like shutting down our faith walk. Don't fight Him! Saul, who became Paul even said in his letter to the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 5:18 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit didn't hurt Paul after all and he realized he could not keep serving as he was called to without the Holy Spirit. If Paul can trust him, so can we. Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit to be with us and the last thing we want to do is reject that gift He has given us. In John 14, Jesus says these words. 15 “If you love me, obey my commandments.16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live.20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
The Holy Spirit is everything in our life as a believer, so Don't Fight Him! He is your friend and your power to live this life of victory is found in Him. We are blind without the Holy Spirit, but pray to Him and the scales will fall off your eyes and you will SEE in a fresh new way what God's Word is telling you. Don't Fight Him! Ask Him to show Himself to you.
The Pilgrimage Continues
David Warren
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