BIBLE TRUNDLE – PAUL’S TRANSFORMATION
May 19, 2025 (1,107 words)
“When the Light Blinds You”
The Radical Grace of Paul’s Damascus Road Transformation
Before he was Paul, he was Saul—a man armed with scrolls, pride, and blood on his hands.
A Pharisee’s Pharisee. Zealous for the Law. Unbending in judgment. And blind to the very God he claimed to serve.
Saul wasn’t merely misguided—he was a persecutor. He approved the stoning of Stephen. He entered homes and synagogues, dragging out believers in chains. He terrorized the early church in the name of holiness.
He was educated under Gamaliel, the most respected teacher in Jerusalem (Acts 22:3). Born of the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised on the eighth day, he had all the religious credentials (Philippians 3:5–6). But he was spiritually lost.
And still, God went out of His way to stop him.
1. LOOK FOR GOD
“Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.” —Acts 9:1
This was no metaphor. Saul was dangerous. And yet, he believed he was righteous. That’s the most dangerous blindness—the kind that thinks it sees.
Later in life, Paul would speak of this darkness with full clarity. Writing to Timothy near the end of his ministry, he said:
“Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.” —1 Timothy 1:13
That confession wasn’t poetic. It was personal. A testimony of who he was, and who God made him.
“A proud man is always looking down on things and people… And of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” —C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
God had to bring Saul low so he could finally look up.
2. LISTEN TO GOD
“Suddenly a light from heaven flashed… and he fell to the ground and heard a voice: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’” —Acts 9:3–4
The double name—“Saul, Saul”—is used throughout Scripture when God addresses someone with intensity and love (see “Moses, Moses” in Exodus 3 or “Samuel, Samuel” in 1 Samuel 3).
Then the shock: “Why are you persecuting Me?”
Jesus doesn’t say “my people,” but Me. Christ so identifies with His body that harming the Church is to wound Him personally.
Saul was blinded. For three days, he neither ate nor drank. But the silence and blindness were not punishment—they were preparation. His proud certainty had to die before a new vision could live.
3. OBEY GOD’S CALL
“Go, for this man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites.” —Acts 9:15
God spoke those words to Ananias—a faithful but terrified disciple in Damascus. He feared Saul, with good reason. But God revealed: Saul wasn’t just converted. He was chosen.
Paul’s transformation wasn’t just sudden—it was sustained. He disappeared into Arabia for three years (Galatians 1:17–18), learning, unlearning, listening. True transformation takes time—and hidden seasons.
Years later, writing to a fractured church in Corinth, Paul summarized it all:
“By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain.” —1 Corinthians 15:10
Grace didn’t just cleanse Paul. It commissioned him.
God’s Grace Goes Out of Its Way
God didn’t wait for Saul to improve. He intercepted him at full speed, full pride, full rage. That’s the kind of grace we’re dealing with. It doesn’t hover politely at the edges of a life. It crashes through.
The God who pursued Saul still pursues us. No one is beyond reach. No sin too deep. No blindness too stubborn.
So when the light comes—and it may come in the form of loss, silence, confrontation, or truth—don’t resist it. Fall down.
Look.
Listen.
Obey.
Even on the wrong road, God still calls your name.
Key Texts:
Acts 9:1–19
1 Timothy 1:13–16
1 Corinthians 15:10
Galatians 1:17–18
Philippians 3:4–6
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