"But Paul, threatening with every breath and eager to destroy every Christian, went to the High Priest in Jerusalem. He requested a letter addressed to synagogues in Damascus, requiring their cooperation in the persecution of any believers he found there, both men and women, so that he could bring them in chains to Jerusalem. As he was nearing Damascus on this mission, suddenly a brilliant light from heaven spotted down upon him! He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Paul! Paul! Why are you persecuting me?'" (Acts 9:1-6).
Paul was very religious. His training was the finest available. His intentions and efforts were not just sincere, but extremely sincere. He was a good Pharisee. He knew the scribes. He sincerely believed that this new movement, Christianity was dangerous to Judaism. Thusly, Paul hated Christians and their new Christian faith called the Way. So without mercy, he persecuted Christians. He was even at the persecution of Stephen. He got permission to travel to Damascus to capture Christians and to bring them back to Jerusalem. But God stopped him dead in his tracks. On the Damascus Road Paul personally met Jesus Christ and his life was never the same.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Since the beginning of mankind, every human that has been born was born with a sinful nature. Why do you think Jesus Christ had to leave His regal throne in heaven to come to earth, died in our place, and rose again to conquer death and sin? Jesus provides us the gift of salvation, as a gift to all who will take it. When we come to Jesus, confess our sins, repent thereof, by turning away from them, and when we seek His ways, we experience a total transformation. This encounter with Jesus transforms us.
What is a Damascus Road Experience? It is an epiphany or a certain turning point in your life. It comes from the Apostle Paul's experience on Damascus Road. Figuratively, a Damascus Experience means to have a life changing encounter with God. You take a 180 degree turn from a path of sinning to an entirely new path for Christ. When you encounter Jesus on Damascus Road, you wholeheartedly will turn to Him in genuine repentance and faith. It's turning your back from the world and the worldly to follow after Christ and what is pleasing to him. You will desire to be in the will of the Lord. You will desire to become more like Him. You will desire to be obedient to Him. You will have a thirst for Christ and the willingness to have an intimate relationship with Him. You will desire to serve and help others, as you display your Christ likeness to others.
After Paul's conversion, he became a mighty ambassador for Christ. He worked hard to convince the Jews that Gentiles were acceptable to God, but he spent even more time convincing Gentiles that they were acceptable to God. The lives Paul touched were changed and challenged by meeting Christ through him. God did not waste any part of Paul. He used his background, his training, his citizenship, his mind, and his weaknesses to minister to all.
If you have ever had a Damascus Road experience, it was not just a 180 degree turnaround experience. It was a spiritual turning away from sin and to Christ by faith. It was a dramatic turning away from one path in order to purse an entirely new one. An entirely different one. It involved a complete about-face, in order to enter through the narrow gate that leads to life. Matthew 7:13 says, "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highways to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way."
It is not a partial change where you are able to straddle the fence. It is not a superficial change with a mere outward facade of your personal life to impress others. It is to break away from the old you from sinning, then embrace the new you, in Jesus Christ. This change is so profound that it involves a change of mind, a change of view, a new recognition of God and yourself. It involves an emotional change, a feeling of sorrow for your sins that were committed against a holy and righteous God. It is an intentional turning away from sin and a turning toward God through Jesus Christ. This involves the entire person, that means, all of you. You have turned your entire mind, your will, your affections, and your love, toward God. It's having an intimate and a right relationship with God.
The Damascus Road experience whole purpose is to bring men and women into a intimate and right relationship with God. This is why Jesus died for us. It was God who was "in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19).
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