1. God intends us to have joy!
(John 17:13) “… I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them."
(1 John 1:3-4) "… And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. {4} We write this to make our joy complete.“
(John 15:10-11) "If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. {11} I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

2. Grace: The real change in Saul/Paul
BEFORE GRACE (Acts 8:1) "And Saul was there, giving approval to his [Stephen’s] death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church… “ (Acts 9:1) "Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples…"
AFTER GRACE (1 Corinthians 15:9-10) "For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. {10} But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."

3. Grace teaches us to say “no” to sin.
(Titus 2:11-12) "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. {12} It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,"