Monday, May 16, 2005
Acts 9:17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord -- Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here -- has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
HOLY SPIRIT: CHANGE ARTIST
It has been said that "Old habits die hard" and "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." There is a certain amount of truth to these sayings, for it is indeed difficult to change the way a person thinks and behaves.
Saul was a persecuter of Christians. It was he who stood by giving approval while others stoned the faithful prophet Stephen to death. He breathed out murderous threats against anyone who was of "The Way." He had no time, use, or care for the Lord Jesus Christ His Savior. He was not interested in the forgiveness of his sins or in listening to the loving guidance of God's Son. He was a "pharisee of the pharisees" who believed that heaven would be gained by his own effort and holiness, and to His mind he did not have to trust in anybody else.
How then did this man come to write down 13 books of the New Testament and spend the latter part of his life tirelessly roaming the world, preaching nothing but Christ crucified? It was not by any human power or persuasion, that's for sure. It was God the Holy Spirit who filled him and changed his heart. It was the Spirit who convicted him of his sinfulness and convinced him of the truth and joy of forgiveness in Christ. It was the Spirit who turned his heart of stone into a heart willing to die for the sake of Jesus' word.
Praise be to the Holy Spirit, the great change-artist! He has taken men, women, and children from the darkness of unbelief and brought them to the light of faith. Just as He did with Saul. Just has He has done with us!
