August 9

Acts 9:15‑16
“The Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he its to chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: for I will show him how great things he must suffer for My name’s sake”— Acts 9:15, 1615But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. (Acts 9:15‑16).
THE importance of the story of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus and his selection by the risen Lord to be His special ambassador to the Gentiles may be gathered from the fact that it is related, more or less fully, five times in the New Testament. Here in Acts 9 we have Luke’s account. In chapters 22 we have Paul’s story of his conversion as he related it to the Jews in Jerusalem. In chapters 26 he tells it again before Festus and Agrippa. Then in Philippians 3:4-114Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. (Philippians 3:4‑11) he refers to it when writing to a Christian church. To his son in the faith, Timothy, he again tells the story of his one-time enmity to the gospel and the grace of God that transformed the persecutor into an evangelist (1 Tim. 1:12-1612And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 13Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 15This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. (1 Timothy 1:12‑16)). These five recitals of the great change that came to this man are most suggestive, emphasizing, as they do, the incorrigible evil of the heart of man—even religious man—and the sovereign, electing grace of God.
“Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star,
Hast thou no scar?
No wound? no scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And pierced are the feet that follows Me;
But thine are whole: can he have followed far
Who has no wound nor scar?”
—Amy Carmichael.