Andy Sochor March 20, 2011

What Happened After Saul’s Conversion?

Text: Acts 9:18-26

He Took Food and was Strengthened (v. 19)

Had been fasting & praying (v. 9,11) — sign of godly sorrow
After baptism, his fast ended (v. 19) — Why? … his sins were forgiven in baptism (Acts 22:16)
Important — this came after baptism, not after prayer

He Began to Proclaim Jesus (v. 20)

This shows conviction
Also shows a desire to save others (Romans 10:1)
We must be able to give an answer (1 Peter 3:15)

He Suffered Consequences (v. 23-26)

Becoming a Christian does not guarantee an easy life (Luke 9:23)
Saul faced persecution from his former brethren (v. 23-25) — others will notice that we are different (1 Peter 4:3-4)
Saul faced skepticism from his new brethren (v. 26)

He Tried to Associate with the Disciples (v. 26)

Saul was already a member of the universal church (v. 18; Acts 2:47)
But it was important that he be part of this local church (Ephesians 4:16; Hebrews 10:24-25)

Read the article: What Happened After Saul’s Conversion?

Filed Under: New Testament, people of the Bible Tagged With: assembly, baptism, church, conversion, conviction, faith, forgiveness, Paul, persecution, preaching, Saul, suffering, teaching

Jesus Christ came to set us free from the bondage of sin (Romans 6:3-6; John 8:34-36). Yet many Christians are content to remain enslaved to it. They have been convinced that we can never defeat sin; therefore, they have resigned themselves to the belief that they will always struggle with it.

Yet the Bible does not present the removal of sin from one’s life as an unattainable ideal but as a realistic goal. Paul said there is a way of escape for every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Peter spoke of what one needs to do so that he will never stumble (2 Peter 1:10). John wrote so that we may not sin (1 John 2:1). Jesus told the woman allegedly caught in adultery, “Go. From now on sin no more” (John 8:11).

But how can we successfully remove sin from our lives? We first need to understand the reasons why we sin so we can learn how to find the way of escape. This material has been written to help each one of us overcome sin, rather than struggling with it perpetually.

The second edition also contains questions at the end of each chapter to aid in personal and group Bible studies. There is also an appendix at the end with additional articles related to sin and temptation. This book is available in paperback and digital formats.

Click here for more information and to download a sample of the book.