As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
“Who are you, Lord?” he said.
“I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting,” He replied. “But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:3-6 HCSB
After Saul saw this bright light and fell to the ground, he was blinded. The men traveling with him had to take him by his hand and lead him into Damascus. He was unable to see for three days and did not eat or drink (Acts 9:8-9).
Our sin causes us tosee but not be able to understand. It causes us to listen, but not hear. We are told in Mark 4 that the secret of the kingdom of God has been given to the followers of Christ, but to those outside it is given in parables so that they may look and not perceive and listen and not understand, otherwise they may turn back and be forgiven.
We are told that our sin creates a barrier between us and God (Isaiah 59:2). After sinning with Bathsheba, David wrote Psalm 51, in verse 17 David said that the sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit and that God will not despise a broken and humbled heart.
Saul was busy persecuting Christians. He came from a good family, he was well educated, he had political power. He had every reason to be prideful by society’s standards, but he was lost. He was sinning and thinking that he was doing a good thing. He was justifying his sin. Sound familiar?
Nothing good can come from our sin. Saul’s persecution of Christians had come to a point where it could no longer be tolerated by Jesus. Jesus came to him in a blinding light. He fell down on the road and was blinded for three days.
The Bible tells us that our sin separates us from God and renders us unable to perceive and unable to understand. So how do we fix this? Well, we have to be blinded by the light. We have to be brought down to the ground. We must humble ourselves. Often times when we are in sin, we become prideful and arrogant. We know that God hates pride. Proverbs 16:18 assures us that the prideful and the arrogant will fall. Saul fell, but he got up. He rose up with Christ.
Saul became Paul. He went from being a man of power and prestige to being a prisoner for Christ. But one thing that Paul makes clear in all his writings. He was filled with joy. He had peace in his new life.
My friend, you can have all the money and power and privilege in this sinful world. But without Jesus, you are unable to perceive and unable to hear. God gives us wisdom and discernment. Our pride says we are smart enough on our own.
Know that if you are prideful and living a life of sin, that you will be brought down. The question is will you get up?
If you have ever had that “Road to Damascus” experience then you are well aware of what I am talking about. If you have no idea what I am talking about, now is the time to examine your life. Are you living a life that is pleasing to God? If you were brought into court and being charged as being a Christian would there be enough evidence in your life to find you guilty?
We have been living in the end times since the death of Christ, but one thing is for sure, each day we are closer to Christ’s return. I ask you today, are you ready? Have you been blinded by the light so that you can now see? Are you seeing and perceiving? Are you hearing and understanding?
Turn to God today, submit yourself to Him, resist the devil (James 4:7). Allow God to lead you in the light of His way. Then you too can have that peace that passes all understanding that Paul wrote about in Philippians 4:7. You can experience true joy no matter what your circumstances. Being a prisoner for Christ trumps being a slave to sin all day long. Don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself.
Have a great day!