Miraculous Salvation

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• Do you like enemies-to-friends stories? What do you think makes them effective? 

• Think about a friend that you have more differences than similarities with. How did you become friends? 

• Have you recently finished an important yet crucial task that you were reluctant to complete? How did you initially respond and how did you accomplish it? 

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘶𝘭, 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘺, 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘑𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘮. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝟵:𝟭–𝟯

(Read also 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝟵:𝟰–𝟮𝟮.)

Every salvation story is a miracle of God’s grace, both for the one who hears the gospel and the one God uses to share it. Let us look at this story from both perspectives. Saul is one whom many would consider as impossible to reach. He consistently persecuted followers of Christ. On the other hand, we have Ananias, an ordinary disciple, who was given a monumental task to reach out to Saul, the persecutor. Today, let’s look at lessons we can glean from this story on the miracle of salvation through the gospel. 

𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. 

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥, “𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘮. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦.” 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝟵:𝟭𝟯–𝟭𝟰

(Read also 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝟵:𝟮𝟬–𝟮𝟮.)

This is proof of how far the grace and goodness of God goes. “Lord, even this person?” We would think that God would be loving to many, but to someone like Saul? He was described as someone who breathed 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭. It’s easy to count someone like him out. But God can move in places and nations that we feel are beyond our reach and in the hearts of people that we think are beyond transforming. If God can move in someone like Saul (later called Paul), how might He be working in the people or places you least expect?

𝟮. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲.

𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, “𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘴.” 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, “𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘢𝘮, 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥.” . . . 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮, “𝘎𝘰, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦.” 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝟵:𝟭𝟬, 𝟭𝟱–𝟭𝟲

(Read also 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝟵:𝟮𝟬–𝟮𝟮.)

We’re often tempted to think that reaching out to hard hearts is reserved for the most experienced believers. Ananias was described as someone who loved and obeyed Jesus. He had reservations and questions, but ultimately he trusted God and obeyed. When we share about God with others, the results don’t drive us. It’s God’s love for us that compels us to do so. But God also encouraged Ananias saying that his obedience would lead to the salvation of many, including the Gentiles, because God had graciously chosen Saul for a specific mission and purpose in His redemptive plan. Does God consider anyone insignificant or unworthy to be used by Him (1 Corinthians 1:27–28)?

Each salvation story is a miracle on both sides. Each time we share the gospel is important, whatever the result. As we preach the gospel, more people are reached and more people in turn will share the gospel to those around them. This ripple effect is what we’re hoping to see until eternity. As we reach people of all kinds with the gospel, all kinds of people will reach others with the gospel and more will know Christ and be transformed by Him.

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• How do you think you can see God moving in people or situations around you, even where it seems unlikely?

• Like Ananias, how might God be inviting you to step into someone else’s story, even if you feel unsure or unqualified? What fears or hesitations might be holding you back from preaching the gospel, and how could you respond in faith?

• Who do you believe God is leading you to share your testimony with? Commit to meet with him or her this week and have a conversation about your faith. 

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Let us thank God for the miracle of salvation we’ve received through Jesus Christ. As a community, ask Him to open our eyes and soften our hearts toward people and situations we might quietly label as unreachable.

• Pray that we would have courage like Ananias—the kind that says yes even when we feel unsure, underqualified, or out of our depth. As we walk this out together, may the Holy Spirit teach us to trust that God works through ordinary people.

• Ask God to give us hearts that share His love without being obsessed with outcomes. May we learn, as a people, to recognize each moment as a sacred opportunity to reflect Christ and speak the gospel into the lives around us.