Saul of Tarsus was transformed in an instant from a strong-willed, intense Pharisee into a humble, devoted slave of the Lord. How was such a change possible? Only by the miracle of the redemption.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s nothing miraculous about the things we can explain. We command what we are able to explain; consequently, it\u2019s natural for us to seek to explain. What Saul experienced on the road to Damascus had no logical explanation, and neither did the choice he made afterward: to live in total obedience to Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
Obedience isn\u2019t natural, nor is disobedience necessarily sinful. There\u2019s no moral virtue in obedience unless a higher authority belongs to the one who commands. Sometimes, refusing to obey is an act of self-liberation. If one person says to another, \u201cYou must\u201d or \u201cYou will,\u201d it breaks the human spirit and its loyalty to God. A person is a slave for obeying unless behind the obedience lies a recognition of a holy God. Too often religion loses sight of God and becomes all about obeying rules. Many souls begin to come to God when they stop being religious, because the human heart only has one master, and that isn\u2019t religion but Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
When Jesus Christ appears to me, I\u2019m in danger if I say, \u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d Jesus will never insist on my obedience, but if I refuse to obey, I\u2019ve begun to sign the death warrant of the Son of God in my soul. When I stand face-to-face with Jesus Christ and say, \u201cI won\u2019t,\u201d I\u2019m backing away from the re-creating power of his redemption. If I come to the light, it\u2019s a matter of indifference to God\u2019s grace how abominable I am. But if I refuse the light, woe to me. \u201cEveryone who does evil hates the light. . . . But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light\u201d (John 3:20\u201321).<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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