249. God’s Foreknowledge and Election

Paul travelled on the road to Damascus with a commission from the chief priests to persecute the Christians because he had in mind to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Acts 26:9. He had put many of the saints in prison and consented to their deaths when they were killed. He compelled them to blaspheme, and being exceedingly enraged against them, he persecuted them even to foreign cities. Verse 11.

As he was on his way to Damascus with this purpose in his heart, he saw a light from heaven at midday, brighter than the sun, shining upon him and those who journeyed with him. They all fell to the ground, and Paul heard a voice speaking to him in the Hebrew language, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” Paul said, “Who are you, Lord?” And the Lord said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.”

Paul was in the midst of committing his sins when God called him and chose him to be His servant. God showed confidence in Paul before he had in any way demonstrated faithfulness to his new Master by giving him a ministry in God’s kingdom. What a strange choice! But God saw Paul’s burning zeal for the God of his fathers when he persecuted the church, and now Paul was going to become equally as zealous in the opposite direction. God is a zealous God, and He loves zealous people.

The heavenly voice said, “Rise and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the revelations to come.” Verse 16 [Danish]. No one is given revelations except those who have His commandments and keep them. John 14:21. God had such great confidence in Paul that he not only would bear witness to what he had seen, but also testify of the revelations God was going to give him later in life. It was as if He was saying, “Saul, I have complete confidence in you. Because you learned to know My will through My commandments, I know you will be obedient. Because of this I will deliver you from the people as well as from the Gentiles to whom I now send you.”

How many people today allow themselves to be delivered from the people? Jesus knew that Saul would allow himself to be separated, so He said this beforehand. No one can truly serve the people unless they are willing to be separated from them. Jesus continues,

To open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.

And all these things were spoken to Paul while he was still on the road to Damascus in order to persecute the church of God.

From this we understand more about God’s foreknowledge and election.