“Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” Paul replied, “Short time or long – I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” – Acts 26:28-29
If we live long enough, each of us will experience at least one real life-changing moment in our lives that grabs us and never lets go.
While chasing down Christians to persecute and have them thrown in prison, Paul had one of those life-changing moments; one that completely altered his personality forever. We read about it in the book of Acts, but its hard for us to imagine what that must’ve been like for him. We see it play out sometimes on the Hollywood big screen – when the villain somehow miraculously has a change of heart and becomes the good guy, the hero. Usually when that happens, love for a woman is somehow involved in the script.
Love was very much involved for Paul that day on the road to Damascus too. Except it was Jesus’ love. God had perfectly written this script especially for Paul’s life.
And what a change it was. The people he once loved the most were no longer his friends, and the people he hated the most he now loved. What a burden of proof this must’ve been for both sides? The Pharisees refused to believe it. They knew his past; surely Saul had lost his mind. And the Christians, who were very familiar with the role he’d personally played in Stephen’s stoning, were rightfully distrusting. They wouldn’t be won over easily.
For Paul, the incredible tension that existed between who he once was and the miraculous transformation of who he had become was raw and inescapable. But one thing was for sure: Jesus Christ had opened his eyes, and from that day forward he would make sure that everyone he ran into would recognize it.
That day when Paul was testifying before King Agrippa, he shared his salvation story with him in vivd detail. Agrippa, like the Pharisees who wanted him dead, thought for sure that Paul was insane. And why wouldn’t he? He’d heard of Saul from Tarsus. He knew he was a Pharisee, an enemy of the Christians. He’d heard the stories about Saul’s expeditions of chasing down Christ followers to beat them and have them thrown in prison. The man had gone completely mad!
And now, Paul wouldn’t stop talking about Jesus. It didn’t matter if he was testifying in a trial, or chained to fellow prisoners. He would even preach the Good News to the Roman soldiers who guarded him.
But his argument eventually convinced Agrippa. Something surely had happened to him. After listening to Paul’s testimony, he asked, “Paul, do you think that in such a short time that you can persuade me to be a Christian?” Paul replied, “Not only you, but all who are listening to me today.”
Paul couldn’t possibly keep his salvation a secret. A sense of joy and peace immediately replaced the hate and darkness that had consumed much of his life. Paul felt that Christ’s death and resurrection, something he once blasphemed against, was now something that must be celebrated. And celebrate he did, in as much to anyone who pretended to listen.
Paul’s life-changing moment was a reason for joyous celebration, and he shared his story with everyone.
Who do you need to share your salvation story with today? There’s no need to try to sell anything. It doesn’t have to be awkward. And it can even be with a complete stranger.
“Hey, have you got a couple of minutes? I need to share a joy I have today. It’s so good that I can’t possibly keep it all to myself! It won’t take long, I promise. And it has an incredible ending!“
It doesn’t need to be long. It doesn’t have to be awkward. Just tell someone how Jesus has changed your life and how they can have that same joy too if they want it.
Father, we thank you for the blood you shed for us on the cross at Calvary. We thank you for taking our place, O Lamb of God, on the altar of life. We ask you to give us courage to talk about you openly and freely with others we run into, so that they may receive this life-changing joy and peace that comes with knowing that our eternity is secure with you. Help us, Lord, to spread the Good News today. Allow the Holy Spirit to work around us, in us, and through us so that you can grow the seeds we plant for you. We love you, Father. In your precious and holy name, Amen.
Former Blackout Artist 