Saul Replaced. Saul Transformed.

Two men with the same name - Saul, the first kling of Israel, and Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor of Christ and His servants.

In both stories, we read of a new man.
* In the case of Saul, the first king of Israel, David was the new man. Saul was rejected. He was replaced.
The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king ... So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah" (1 Samuel 16:1, 13).
* In the case of Saul of Tarsus, it was very different. Saul became the new man. He became Paul the apostle. He was saved by the Lord. His life was transformed by the power of Christ's love. He became a new creation in Christ Jesus. He had this great testimony: "It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me." (Galatians 2:20).
- We don't need to be like Saul, the first king of Israel - castaway, laid aside as of no further use (1 Corinthians 9:27).
- Each of us can be like Paul the apostle. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, we have more than Paul's own testimony. we have a call to each one of us. God is calling us to be transformed by the power of Christ's love. He is calling us to become "a new creation in Christ" - "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone. The new has come!"

It's "Make Your Mind Up" Time!

Acts 24:1-27

Paul did not abandon the teaching of the Old Testament Scriptures - ‘I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the law or written in the prophets (14). He read the Old Testament. It led him to Christ. Paul’s great theme was ‘faith in Christ Jesus’(24). Paul speaks. Jesus is speaking through him. Jesus did ‘not come to abolish the law and the prophets’. He came ‘to fulfil them’. ‘Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, Jesus interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself’(Matthew 5:17; Luke 24:27). God has spoken ‘through the prophets’. God has spoken through His Son’(Hebrews 1:1-2). We read the Old Testament. We learn from ‘Moses’ and ‘Elijah’. They step back. We see ‘Jesus, only’. He is God’s ‘beloved Son’. We ‘listen to Him’(Matthew 17:3,8,5).

Acts 25:1-27 

Paul stood before Festus as an accused man. Festus listened. Recognizing his own shortcomings and respecting the accused wishes, he gave Paul a fair hearing (20-21,25). Festus made no decision - ‘I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him’(26). Jesus was ‘dead’. Now, He is ‘alive’(19). This is not just ‘something to think about’. We must make our decision. There can be no ‘sitting on the fence’. Some are indecisive - ‘I have nothing definite to say about Jesus’. It’s ‘make your mind up’ time - ‘How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?’ (Hebrews 2:3). Festus had to make a decision about Paul. There is a more important question: ‘What do you think of the Christ?’. Each of us must answer the question: ‘What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’(Matthew 22:42; 27:22).

Acts 26:1-32

Paul answers three questions concerning himself. He puts a most important question to his hearers. (a) What was I before my conversion? Here, he speaks of his religion - ‘According to the strictest party of my religion I have lived as a Pharisee’(5). This brought him ‘to the ground’(14). (b) How did my conversion come about? Here, he speaks of his Saviour - ‘I am Jesus... Stand up!’(15). (c) What happened after my conversion? Here, he describes how he became a ‘servant’ and a ‘witness’(16). (d) The final question concerns our response - What about you? Will you become a Christian? (27-29). Do you have a story to tell? - Tell your story: the ‘before’, the ‘after’, the fact that it was Jesus who made the difference. Don’t forget the challenge: To ‘all who are listening to me today’- Come to Christ (29).

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Blessings in Christ

Christ in all the Scriptures

http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com