“Great Dispensational Moments - Saul’s Salvation and Its Meaning”

We continue today to consider what happened when Stephen was stoned and Saul stood nearby as his official accuser.  The rulers in Israel (the Sanhedrin) had given Saul this authority and the result was Stephen’s martyrdom after he had preached one of the most powerful sermons ever.  But now the tables for Israel begin to turn.  Though many were saved through Stephen’s preaching, his stoning seals their fate for now as God saves his chief enemy on earth, Saul.  Saul is saved miraculously while in the height of his rebellion and is then sent forth as the apostle of the Gentiles with a message of completed redemption through the death and glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and simple faith in him apart from works in any sense.  He was as he said later “the chief [or first] of sinners” saved by grace through faith.  He was set forth for all to see as an archetype of what it means today to be a believer.  But the most profound teaching of all is in the area of the new life that this apostle demonstrated before all.  That is our main focus today in our fellowship around some truly glorious and exceedingly powerful scriptures, all focusing on Paul’s sufferings and their example for us. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; min-height: 14.0px}