True Conversion

Acts 9:20-21 - "And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name..."
Saul the persecuted has met Christ whom he was persecuting and now the tide has turned, now he is preaching the faith he once so vehemently attacked. The result, people are amazed. This is a powerful example of a true conversion to Christ (a born again experience). Paul (Saul) is not the same man, his life is now radically different and history (mostly New Testament) attests to this fact. How many today in Christianity have never truly been born again? How many are just religious, which is what Paul was (don't believe me, check out Philippians 3:4-6). There is a great dichotomy between being religious and being truly born again. In scripture, this bifurcation is clearly seen. We have left darkness and entered His light; we were dead, now we're alive; we were lost, now we're found; we were alienated from God, now we are His children; we stood in condemnation, now by faith in Christ we are justified. Wow, what a change! We should all examine our lives to see if there has really been a change from the person we once were before we were "saved." Paul said it so well, " Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things (previous moral and spiritual condition) are passed away; behold, all things are become new." Our transformed life will always amaze those who knew us before and this changed life is a powerful witness that can't be refuted.