In my lifetime, I have met some wonderfully talented people with great abilities in everything from the fine arts to the industrial arts. All these people have made their contribution in one way or another to the human race. But, there is one, it recently occurred to me, who has perfected the talent – of humanity; He has perfected people. It is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is ‘mighty to save and cleanse us.’ There is no one who loves us more, has a greater desire to help us, and more power to do so than He. May I illustrate?

Who would have thought in 34 A.D. that Saul of Tarsas would become a Christian? If you read the story, if ever there was a man who was anti-Christ, and an unlikely Christian, it was Saul.

When the devout Christian, Stephen, was stoned by the Jews for his testimony of Jesus, it was Saul who stood by as a witness and consented to the murder.

It was Saul who made such havoc of the Church in Jerusalem that the Christians in that city were scattered from the city for their own safety.

It was Saul who took men and women of Christ, and put them in prison for their faith.

It was Saul who was so active and so zealous in his persecution of the Saints that he was known and feared far beyond the confines of the city of Jerusalem.

It was Saul who vehemently continued to breathe out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.

Surely, if ever there was a man who was an unlikely candidate for Christianity, it had to have been Saul.

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That is until one day on the road to Damascus on a mission to further persecute the Christians, a brilliant and blinding light shone round about him, causing him to fall to the earth. He heard a voice say to him, “… Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:4)

Saul answered, “… Who art thou, Lord? …” (Acts 9:5)

“… I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” (Acts 9:5)

Trembling and astonished, Saul asked, “… what wilt thou have me to do, [Lord?]” (Acts 9:6)

Well, that question and the Lord’s answer to it changed Saul forever. He changed by the grace of Christ from Saul, the persecutor of Christ, to Paul, the Apostle of Christ. It’s interesting to me that he who consented to the death of the Christian martyr, Stephen, himself eventually died a Christian martyr.

Now – you and I: May I humbly ask, if we call Jesus, Lord and Savior, do we – do we have faith in His power to save – us, and the ones we love?