“… Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”” (Acts 9:19–20, NASB95)

Authentic faith is made evident by how a person lives. Paul came to faith in Jesus and immediately spent time learning from the disciples of Jesus and proclaiming Jesus in the Jewish synagogues in a gentile land.

People will talk about what excites them the most and what drives their passions. Some people who become passionate about their firstborn child, will do nothing but talk about their baby, and rightfully so. Others will want to talk about the time they spent on vacation and all the things they enjoyed while they traveled. Brand new Christians are amazing because when Jesus changes their life, really changes their life; all they can talk about is Jesus. Salvation becomes a fire inside that they cannot contain, and that was the case for Paul.

Paul wasted so much of his life hating and persecuting Christians because he was blinded by his religion. Life began when Jesus pulled back the veil of Paul’s religion and revealed Himself. In response to his salvation, Paul went back to the place of his bondage, the synagogue, and sought to rescue people like himself. He proclaimed Jesus to religious people that didn’t know Messiah Jesus.

Years ago I had a young man come to our young adult group in my previous church. He was a “white supremacist skinhead” that was brought to church by a friend. It was obvious that he was part of that culture based on the way he dressed and talked. This young man met Jesus and that night he was saved. After a couple of months of coming to church and learning about God’s love, he approached me to let me know that he felt God directing him back into that culture and started attending “mosh pits” which was a style of violent dancing that punk rockers did to express themselves. His goal was to go and share Jesus with the lost people of his old culture. I was impressed and encouraged him to remain balanced and follow the Lord’s leading. He became an evangelist to people that were as lost as he was.

How is authentic faith revealed in your life? Are you passionate about sharing Jesus like Paul and my friend, or has the fire of salvation become mere embers? Pray this morning that the Holy Spirit will fan the flame of passion in your heart to proclaim Jesus.

In His Service,
Pastor Cary