Religious Conviction

Acts 9:19-25

“Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.”  Blaise Pascal

“Of all bad men religious bad men are the worst.” C.S. Lewis

As I read these verses in Acts chapter nine, I was confronted with how evil religion is and at the same time came to the truth, that it is the nature of mankind to be religious, no matter what he calls that religion.  Saul was of all men a devoted worshiper of the traditions of the Jews and a man of great knowledge and training in that faith, and yet was blind to the teaching of Scripture.  In his encounter with Christ his devotion was changed from a religion to the person, Jesus Christ.  He has moved from a desire to harm a person who is of another religious persuasion to desiring to share how Jesus Christ has changed his life.

And we find this account of what Saul did after his sight was restored and had received the Holy Spirit.  “For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.” (Acts 9:19-22 ESV)  Paul soon learned this fact, in fact, Saul was such a man and God moved mountains in his life; “It is easier to move a mountain than it is to move a person entrenched in the “traditions of men which make the word of God of no effect.” Matt. 15:6-9)” Gary Amirault 

With that quote from Gary Amirault, shall we move on to the account of doctor Luke’s in verses 23-25, “When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.” (Acts 9:23-25 ESV)  What kind of men were these that wanted to kill Saul?  Very devout followers of Judaism, not pew sitters on Saturday, but men with strong beliefs, and their traditions were to them worth dying for, or killing anyone who was perceived to be a threat to the Jewish way of life.  

Now it comes full circle in my thoughts, I am like you religious people about many things, my freedom, my way of life, my family and friends, and yes even my faith.  For years I was just Baptist and because I only knew a small amount of what Baptists believed, I was convinced they were more correct than others, who I had no understanding of, but who also put faith in the same Jesus that my parents had put their trust in, I had not really put faith in anything but self.  One day I also encountered Jesus, and no it was not on a road, and no he did not blind me with a bright light, but He did confront me with Scripture; to the emptiness of my pursuit of self, and His desire to make me into something new, not a do over, but a brand new spirit critter.

In closing these two quotes seem so fitting: “Being a Methodist, a Catholic, or a Baptist does not make one a disciple, it only makes him a Methodist, a Catholic, or a Baptist, who may or may not be a daily follower of Jesus Christ.” –Michael Phillips

“In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women centering on the living Christ. Then the church moved to Greece where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome where it became an institution. Next, it moved to Europe, where it became a culture. And, finally, it moved to America where it became an enterprise.”--Richard Halverson, former chaplain of the United States Senate

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice