1. Conversion of Saul Conversion of Saul - Acts 9 & 22:1-16 Ancestry = Jew - Hebrew Education = Gamaliel Religion = Pharisee Church = Persecuted Conversion = Christian Life = Dedication

2. I. Ancestry Means Nothing in Spiritual Matters Acts 22:3 “I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.” Acts 22:3 Descendant of Abraham

3. 34. Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. Acts 10:34-35 “God shows no partiality.” NKJV

4. II. Having a Great Teacher will Not Necessarily save us Acts 22:3 “I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.” Acts 22:3

5. II. Having a Great Teacher will Not Necessarily save us We must obey God our self 2 Cor. 5:10 - judged individually 1 Cor. 3:6-7 - it is God who saves us

6. III. Being Religious and Sincere Is not enough to save us Acts 22:3 “I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.” Acts 22:3

7. III. Being Religious and Sincere Is not enough to save us Gal. 1:13-14 - “exceedingly zealous” Matt. 7:21-23 Paul was zealous Busy persecuting Christians But He was Lost

8. IV. It is Possible to Persecute Christ while being Sincere Acts 22:4 “I And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women..” Acts 22:4 Acts 23:1 Acts 23:1 “lived in all good Conscience”

9. IV. It is Possible to Persecute Christ while being Sincere Acts 9:4 “...Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” To persecute Christ is to persecute the church. Gal. 5:15 “bite and devour one another”

10. V. When we learn we are wrong We should admit it. Acts 9:6 “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” Acts 9:6 Paul did not make excuses ! When we see we are wrong we must be willing to change and do right

11. VI. A lost man is not saved by Faith only Jesus told Saul what to do He believed it. Was he saved at that point ? No !! He had to obey !!!!

12. Heb. 11:30 Heb. 11:30 “By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down” Joshua 6

13. James 2:20-26 Not saved by dead faith Body + Spirit = live body Body - Spirit = dead body Faith + works = live faith Faith - works = dead faith

14. Jas 2:24 “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”

15. Paul was not saved on the road to Damascus ! He was told to “go into Damascus and there it shall be told thee of all things...” Acts 22:10 He could not have been saved if he still had sins.

16. VII. Immersion brings one Into the Church Acts 22:16 “And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” One cannot be in the church until His sins are gone

17. Is where our sins are washed away! Acts 22:16 1 Pet. 3:21 Acts 2:38 Mark 16:16 Rom. 6:3 Gal. 3:27

18. IN CHRIST “ ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS ” (EPH. 1:3) SALVATION (2 TIM. 2:10) “ NO CONDEMNATION ” (ROM. 8:1) “ NEW CREATION ” (2 COR. 5:17) BAPTISM ROMANS 6:3

19. VIII. After becoming a Christian We devote our life to Christ Phil. 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ...” Rom. 12:1 “...present your bodies a living sacrifice,... 2 Tim. 4:7 “I have kept the faith”

20. Conversion of Saul Conversion of Saul - Acts 9 & 22:1-16 He was Sincerely wrong He learned the truth and obeyed Saul An enemy became a friend of the church and became Paul To be a friend of Christ you Must be obedient !!!

21. Sermon by Arthur Pigman Evans Church of Christ 515 Gibbs Road Evans, Ga. 30809 706-855-1249 arthurpigman@cybrtyme.com Sunday Morning Jan. 29, 06