I Corinthians 4:5, "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God."

A little over two-thousand years ago something stirred in the midst of Jerusalem. A new movement, called "the way", was erupting and disturbing the members of the Sanhedrin. The followers of this man, named Jesus, were proclaiming He was the Christ and had risen from the dead and they were broadcasting the news throughout all of Galilee.

Now the number of the disciples of Jesus had multiplied and, because of disputes between the Grecians and Jews, the disciples chose seven honorable men full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom to set over the daily ministration. Among the seven chosen was Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, who did great wonders and miracles among the people in Jerusalem.

Then there arose certain of the synagogue, called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and those of Cilicia and of Asia, who disputed with Stephen. However, they were not able to resist his wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke, so they brought accusations of blaspheme against him which stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes who subdued him and brought him before the council, but, when the council looked at him they saw the face of an angel.

Bringing false witnesses against him, the council asked him if the accusations were true. Then Stephen declared before them all the things written from the time of Abraham and said, "You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, why do you always resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did. Which of the prophets have your fathers not persecuted? They have slain them which prophesied of the coming of the Just One, of whom you have now betrayed and murdered." When they heard these words it cut to their hearts and they turned on Stephen biting him. Then, Stephen, looking up into heaven said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." Then they cried out with a loud voice, covered their ears, and ran upon him with one accord. Casting him out of the city, they stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul, and Saul consented to his death.

At that time there was great persecution against the church and they were scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and bringing men and women before the judge, who committed them to prison. Therefore, those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.

Saul of Tarsus was born about the same time as the Lord Jesus Christ. Tarsus was the seat of a famous university, higher in reputation even than the universities of Athens and Alexandria, the only others that then existed. Here Saul was born, and here he spent his youth, doubtless enjoying the best education his native city could afford. His father was of the straightest sect of the Jews, a Pharisee, of the tribe of Benjamin, of pure Jewish blood, a Roman citizen; therefore, Saul was freeborn.

According to Jewish custom he learned a trade, that of a tentmaker, which was a common trade in Tarsus. At about thirteen years of age and after his preliminary education, Saul was sent to the great Jewish school of sacred learning at Jerusalem as a student of the law. Here he became a pupil of the celebrated rabbi Gamaliel, and here he spent many years in an elaborate study of the Scriptures and of the many questions concerning them.

After the period of his student-life expired, he probably left Jerusalem for Tarsus, where he may have been engaged in connection with some synagogue for some years. But we find him back again at Jerusalem very soon after the death of our Lord. Here he now learned the particulars regarding the crucifixion, and the rise of the new sect of the "Nazarenes."

At the time of Stephen's death, Saul was probably a member of the great Sanhedrin, and became the active leader in the furious persecution by which the rulers sought to exterminate Christianity. Hearing that fugitives had taken refuge in Damascus, he obtained from the chief priest letters authorizing him to proceed there on his persecuting career. This was a long journey of about 130 miles, which would occupy perhaps six days, during which, with his few attendants, he steadily went onward, "breathing out threatenings and slaughter." But the crisis of his life was at hand. He had reached the last stage of his journey, and was within sight of Damascus.*

Saul knew the Law, he understood the Law. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews, born of the tribe of Benjamin, as touching the Law, a pharisee of pharisees, and the first commandment of God was, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is One. You shall have no other gods before Me." Anyone caught disobeying the Law was judged by the Law, and, when found guilty, was to be condemned by the Law, and there was only one penalty for sin, death. Saul believed that all those who followed 'the way' were guilty of blasphemy. 

Then, Saul, breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and desired of him letters to  the synagogues at Damascus. If he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he could bring them bound to Jerusalem for trial and conviction.

As he journeyed, when he was near Damascus, suddenly there shined around him a light from heaven and he fell to the earth. Then he heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? Saul questioned, "Who are you, Lord?" and the Lord said, "I am Jesus Whom you persecute, it is hard for you to offer vain resistance."

Trembling and astonished, Saul said, "Lord, what will you have me do?" The Lord replied, "Arise, go into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do," and the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. Then Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man, but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. During three days without sight, he neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias, whom the Lord spoke to in a vision saying, "Ananias," and Ananias said, "Behold, I am here, Lord." Then the Lord said, "Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus who is there praying. He has seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him so that he might receive his sight." Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem, and he has authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, because he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. I will show him the great things he must suffer for My name's sake."

Then Ananias went in obedience to the Lord and entered into the house of Judas, and putting his hands on him, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto you as you came here, has sent me so that you might receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost". Immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales and he again received his sight, then he arose and was baptized, and he was strengthened when he had eaten. Then Saul spent several days with the disciples which were at Damascus and went out and preached in the synagogues that Christ is the Son of God.

Saul, which is the Hebrew name for Paul, understood what it meant to be humble before the Lord. He went from Saul, meaning desired, to Paul, meaning small or little. He was literally humbled, put down or brought low, before the Lord. He became weak in the presence of the Lord and fell to the ground, and when you humble yourself before the Lord, He will will lift you up,.

Many of us have never experienced what has often been termed "the Damascus Road experience". Often kicking against the pricks, that is offering vain, perilous, or ruinous resistance, we, like Saul, often go about our everyday lives as if God will approve anything that we do because we are a 'child of God'. We forget to offer praise in every circumstance, whether good or bad, and our prayers often go unsaid until that bad experience happens. We wield the word of God as a defense, but often it never comes out of the mouth unless we are condemning someone or something.

The 'Damascus Road experience' brought Saul to the ground. He saw the light, heard the voice of the Lord, and had a change of heart. Not that Paul's heart was in the wrong place, but he was blind to the truth until he became blind to all he could see and what he knew in his heart as the Law written on tables of stone. As zealous as Saul was to the Law of God he became equally, if not more, zealous as Paul to 'the way' and the cause of Christ. The Lord literally changed his heart of stone to a heart of flesh. His heart changed from rejecting the truth to believing all that was true, because now the Law was written in fleshly tables of his heart. Written not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God.

Often, as a believer, our hearts can become as Saul's. We know the word, we acknowledge the commandments, we stand on the promises of God; however, we fall short of  fully understanding and knowing Christ as Lord of our lives. The heart often stands in the way of our progress as a born again believer. We see through a glass darkly who Christ really is. What He can accomplish in and through our lives daily, moment by moment, often out of reach. In a sense, we take our heart, put it in a jar, and place it upon a shelf allowing nothing else to transfuse it. Unfortunately, most of what is left undone remains sealed until His return or our leaving this earth.

In this study we are going to look at those "Affairs of the Heart" that many of us would like to keep sealed or bottled up. Those stony places that are hidden and locked that we want to keep secret especially from ourselves and the Lord. Areas that the Lord would like to change so that you can grow in Him through the power of the spirit of Christ that is within you.

So, take the word of God, dust it off, and get your heart off of the shelf. We are going to pull the lid off and start purifying and refining those areas so that you can grow in the knowledge and understanding of the will of the Lord. Grow up into Him in all things.

 Psalms 34:18-19 "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." Rejection is not a pretty word and most, if not all of us, have suffered some form of rejection. It is difficult to see God as our heavenly Father when we feel rejected by those who should love and care for us. So, child of God, get that jar down off the shelf and begin "Working Out Your Salvation".

*The book of Philippians is a good place to start. So, get your Bible out and read through Paul's Epistle to the church at Philippi before beginning the next page.

*Portions taken from Easton's Bible Dictionary

*April 17, 2008