The focus of Acts 9 is on Saul and his transformation to a humble servant of Christ. Saul was traveling to kill Christians in Damascus when he was confronted by Jesus. On his way to the city, a sudden light from heaven appeared and caused Saul to fall to the ground. Saul then heard a voice that questioned him why he was persecuting Christ. The voice revealed to Saul that it was Jesus speaking and that Saul was persecuting Him. Saul's companions stood speechless next to him. They heard the Lord's voice, but they did not see anyone. Saul rose from the ground and was guided to Damascus by his companions. From Acts chapter 9, there is a description of Saul's behavior after arriving in Damascus. He stayed in Damascus for days without eating or drinking. Ananias was sent to Saul by the Lord and was able to help Saul regain his sight back. After receiving his sight, Paul started proclaiming the word of the Lord in Damascus. When he was in the city, he stopped issuing murderous threats to Christ’s followers. He became friendly towards Christians, yet he used to hate them with a passion. He allowed Ananias, a Christian, to lay his hands on him and to pray for him. Chapter 9 continues focusing on Paul as a preacher and disciple of Christ. According to the chapter, Paul stayed several days in Damascus, where he proclaimed the gospel in the city's synagogues. Word spread of his transformation as a believer, with some of the city residents doubtful. However, Paul continued preaching God's word to the people. Saul's conversion to Paul is a dramatic revelation of the power of God. The conversion will be examined to show its relevance to current-day individuals with regard to how it changed their lives for the better. Saul’s conversion to Paul is relevant to modern-day individuals since it has inspired former criminals such as Chris Watts, David Berkowitz, and Michael Franzese to change their lives by becoming evangelists.
Relevance to Current-Day Individuals
Saul's conversion to Paul is relevant to current-day individuals, given that it inspires people to change their lives for the better. The story of Paul’s conversion shows current-day individuals what conversion means. From Acts 9, conversion does not mean the alteration of one’s religious adherence. Saul’s conversion comprised the acceptance of Jesus as God’s son and the savior of the world in addition to a change of heart. Saul had made a career out of killing Christ’s followers for their faith. Saul’s interaction with Christ on the road to Damascus made him recognize his mistakes, and he had a dramatic change of heart. Saul's story has inspired people who lived sinful lives to have a change of heart. Chris Watts’ story is a modern-day story of how a sinful individual can experience a change of heart. In 2018, Watts was arrested for killing his pregnant wife and their two daughters (Dorwart, 2019). Initially, he told investigators that he strangled his wife in retaliation for bringing harm to their daughters after Watts confessed that he had an extramarital affair. He refused to provide specific details regarding his family members' murder. In the same year, he pleaded guilty to murdering his wife and daughters and was taken to Dodge Correctional Institution to serve his life sentence. In February 2019, Watts called investigators to explain how and why he murdered his wife and daughters. After refusing to share the specific details, he changed his mind and decided to reveal all the specific details the investigators needed. He told them that he strangled his daughters and hid their bodies in oil tanks. He also told them that he strangled his wife and hid her body in a shallow grave located near where he committed the crime. He also revealed how one of his daughters begged for her life after seeing Watts murder the other daughter. According to his Watts’ lawyers, Watts experienced spiritual conversion while in prison and, as a result, made him remorseful (Dorwart, 2019). Watts claimed that he found God in Prison and his relationship with God led to a change of heart. He claimed that he became an evangelical Christian while in prison, and this scenario inspired him to cooperate with the investigators in answering their questions. He committed himself to Christian ways and, in this case, sought to live a life free of sin. Watts’ change of heart is a relevant example of conversion that is similar to that experienced by Saul. Watts’ life changed as a result of the conversion.
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Saul’s conversion also inspired David Berkowitz to believe that he could change his life. In 1977, Berkowitz shot and killed six individuals in New York City. He wrote letters taunting the police and promised to commit additional crimes. He was arrested in the same year and was convicted for eight shooting incidents. He claimed that he was following the instructions of his neighbor’s dog to murder young girls (Dorwart, 2019). Later, he changed his confession and told investigators that the murders were part of rituals of a violent Satanic cult. In 1987, Berkowitz had a change of heart and became a Christian while in prison. His conversion came after reading God's word, specifically Psalms 34. In this case, God revealed himself to Berkowitz just like He revealed himself to Saul in the form of a voice and a blinding light. Currently, Berkowitz creates and sends videos that provide his testimony while in prison. He counsels other inmates and provides advice to young individuals through letters. Berkowitz’s conversion completely changed his life.
Saul’s conversion is relevant to current-day people given that it highlights the power of sight, the nature of God’s salvation, and the signs of true Christian conversion. Churches have been set up by individuals, including reformed criminals, to spread the word of God. Current-day people have changed their lives by gaining spiritual sight, the sight that guides an individual’s life. Such sight is a gift from God since it allows the individual to see Jesus as God’s son. Saul did not see Jesus for who he is since he persecuted Christ’s followers. The light that struck down Saul made him physically blind. According to the text, Ananias told Paul that he was sent to him to make him regain his sight back and receive the Holy Spirit. Preachers such as Berkowitz emphasize that Saul experienced physical blindness since God wanted him to understand that he lacked the Holy Spirit and, in this case, lacked spiritual sight. Based on the text, sight is what God restored to Saul through Ananias. In this sense, Paul received his physical sight back and gained the sight to see Jesus as God’s son. Notably, he received both physical and spiritual sight. Michael Franzese is an individual who gained spiritual sight following his conversion to Christianity. Franzese was a mobster born into a life of crime in New York. In 1975, Franzese quit college to join his family in committing crime (Stewart, 2012). He grew into the life of crime given that his father was the leader of the Colombo crime family. He engaged in creating money-making schemes such as extortion, money laundering, and intimidation. In 1984, he and Camile Garcia, an evangelical Christian, became friends. Garcia introduced him to Christianity and would later become his wife. A year later, Franzese was arrested on charges of racketeering, extortion, and counterfeiting. His prison sentence was ten years, but he served only three years and seven months. In 1991, he was arrested again for engaging in tax fraud. Franzese claims that he found Christ while he was serving his second sentence and gained the strength to leave behind his life of crime. He walked away from his family and risked his life, given that leaving the crime family was regarded as a cardinal sin. Franzese's conversion to Christianity allowed him to gain spiritual sight. In 1992, he authored a book titled Quitting the Mob for the purpose of swaying teenagers to avoid the life of crime (Stewart, 2012). Franzese launched the Breaking Out Foundation, which currently makes tours across the US with Franzese preaching the gospel and issuing his life testimony. Franzese's life has changed as a result of gaining spiritual sight, just like Saul gained it during his conversion.
Saul’s conversion to Paul is relevant to current-day people since it shows that salvation is obtained from Christ rather than man. Acts chapter 9 shows that salvation does not rely on the fallen will of man but on the power of Christ and His sovereign will. Based on the text, every aspect of Saul’s conversion came from Christ. Saul was not looking for salvation but rather was focused on destroying the saved people living in Damascus. Christ did not plead with Saul but rather struck him down, highlighting the power of God. Saul was given orders by Christ, and he did not have a choice but to follow them, given that he was already blind. The lives of current-day individuals such as Chris Watts, David Berkowitz, and Michael Franzese changed due to the power of God.
Impact of Holy Spirit
The conversion of Saul to Paul shows the relevant role of the Holy Spirit in making one change their life. When Ananias prayed for Saul, Saul was filled with Holy Spirit, and he became a servant of God. The Holy Spirit empowered Paul since he became knowledgeable in the Word of God and was able to preach the word to others. Before conversion, Saul persecuted believers and highly despised the word of God. He was unaware of Christ’s teachings and did not know how to preach. After the sudden and striking conversion, he became a transformed individual. After his conversion, he stayed with the disciples in Damascus and immediately started proclaiming the word of God. This immediate proclamation was a result of the Holy Spirit, which empowered him to preach. The Holy Spirit was able to empower Michael Franzese to change his life in the face of threats. Franzese knew that leaving his crime family was dangerous since he could be killed by members of the mafia. In the face of such threats, he made the bold decision to walk away from his crime family. His decision to start preaching after leaving his crime family was a product of the Holy Spirit empowering him to do the unimaginable. The Holy Spirit also empowered the evangelistic efforts of Chris Watts, David Berkowitz, and Michael Franzese in the face of challenges. Chris Watts and David Berkowitz are currently in jail and are able to continue sharing the word of God despite their circumstances. Prison is likely to be a challenging environment to stay in given the lack of freedom and proper food and the presence of other dangerous individuals. However, both Chris Watts and David Berkowitz have managed to overcome the odds and are making evangelistic efforts. Berkowitz evangelizes to people through videos and letters he creates in prison. Watts also shares his testimony with other inmates and preaches to them regularly. Such evangelistic efforts are made possible through the Holy Spirit, which empowers them to act in the face of challenges.
The Holy Spirit also plays a vital part in changing lives by giving individuals spiritual gifts such as leadership abilities. The Holy Spirit gives the individual gifts not for their own benefit but for the common good of the church. The Spirit also gives individuals gifts to serve others. The Holy Spirit gave Michael Franzese the gift of leading and encouraging others. Franzese established the Breaking Out Foundation focused on ministering the word of God and counseling the youth. He is a leader, given that he is in charge of a team of preachers who attend Christian conferences and churches for religious engagements (Stewart, 2012). Franzese and his team also visit learning institutions to motivate and inspire youthful individuals who are at a high risk of going into crime. He motivates youthful individuals to establish career goals and to avoid engaging in criminal activities. Evidently, the Holy Spirit has played a key role in Franzese's life, given that it has given him the gift of teaching, leading, and encouraging others.
Conclusion
Overall, Saul’s conversion to Paul is relevant to current-day people since it shows that people can change when they accept Christ into their lives. The lives of Chris Watts, David Berkowitz, and Michael Franzese changed when they all accepted Christ as their savior. The Holy Spirit played a considerable role in their transformation, given that the Spirit empowered them to leave their criminal lives behind and to start evangelizing.
References
Dorwart, L. (2019). Chris Watts, David Berkowitz and other infamous killers who found God in prison . A+E Networks UK. https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/chris-watts-christian-david-berkowitz-religion .
Stewart, A. (2012). Colombo crime family mobster Michael Franzese speaks at MU . THE MANEATER. https://themaneater.com/stories/arts/colombo-crime-family-mobster-michael-franzese-spea .
