Glen Bond Aug. 7 2005 The conversion of Saul. Acts Chapter 9. Saul was a blind deceived sinner. Yet in his own eyes he was perfect. Phillipians 3:4-6 3:4 Though 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: 3:5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. Look at Saul: He was just, righteous, perfect by the law. There was no one on earth who could condemn him. There was nothing to accuse him of. He was in the eyes of man PERFECT. He went to church on Sundays, he got up every morning and went to work, and worked hard. He had respect for his family. he was not a drunk or a dope head. He didn't lie, cheat or steal. He kept the law, and on top of that he went after those who broke the law. There was no one who would say that old Saul was on the road to HELL. He was a good man. Are you like Saul? Are you a good person? Have you kept the law, do you do all of the things that you should? Do you think that when you die, you will go to heaven? Look at Saul, he had no thought that he would ever go to hell. He thought that he was as saved as a person could be. You could not tell him that he is wrong. Saul was decieved! This is how deceived a lost sinner is. Saul was a lost sinner, headed for Hell just as fast as he could go, and he didn't even know it. Now, What about you?? Are you headed for Hell? Do you know it?? Are you saved? Yes? How can you tell? How can you tell that you are saved? Well... don't look at me, I can't tell you if you are saved or not. It is difficult for someone to know if they are saved. I remember once when I was young, 12 or 14 years old, we went to a diamond field. You would pay them a set price just to go into the field. Then you would dig around and look for diamonds. When you got through they had a man that would look at your findings and tell you if you had any diamonds. If you found any diamonds, they would buy them from you, or you could keep them and take them home with you. Well, we went to this field and looked, and digged in the ground, and picked up what we thought might be diamonds. We had never seen raw, un-cut diamonds before, and really didn't know what we were looking for. Needless to say, we didn't find any. But on the way out, when we were waiting for our turn to have our stuff examined, we saw someone who had found some diamonds. The best I remember they were just black rocks. But I remember my Dad saying, "Well, if I had known what they looked like I might have found some. I think I have been throwing those away". It is difficult to know if you are saved or not. How do you know. What does a raw diamond look like? It looks like a black rock. Is every black rock a diamond? No! In fact, most black rocks are just ROCKS. Is everyone who makes a profession of faith, saved? NO! Oh? "Now," you say, "You are judging". No, I'm not. I am just stating a fact. Now how do I know? I know because I was there. I didn't know what salvation was, and I worked up what I thought salvation is, and made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. I called myself saved. Yet, I was as lost as lost could be. I didn't know what a diamond looked like, so I picked a rock, and called it a diamond. I went around telling everyone that it was a diamond. Is this what you are doing? Do you know what a diamond looks like? Do you know what it is like to be saved? If salvation was so easy to know, I don't think that vers would be in the bible that says '...make your calling and election sure'. If the Lord had not stopped me, just like he did Saul, and made me to know that I was lost, I would still be deceived. Saul was certain of his salvation... There was not a doubt in his mind that he was saved. Until the Lord stopped him, and made him to know that he was lost. There is one thing that does happen to all saved sinners. There comes a time when they see that they are lost sinners. There comes a time when they see that they are lacking before God. One minute, Saul was riding down the road to Damascus, deceived into thinking he was a saved person, and the next minute He was there on the ground knowing that he was a lost sinner and going to hell. I want you to look at this: Saul came into the very presence of God, as a sinner. When he did, The Lord showed Saul his need for salvation. The Lord showed Saul that he was a sinner. And not JUST a sinner, but the CHIEF SINNER. As bad of a sinner as a man can get. There was none worse. Saul came into the presence of God as a sinner, and Saul KNEW that he was a sinner. He knew that he was the Chief of sinners. He knew that if the Lord didn't save him, that he would, sooner or later, drop into the hottest part of HELL. Saul knew these things without a doubt. He was more sure of this now, than he was about his salvation a day earlier. This was made known to Saul by God himself. There was no workings of man here. You that say you are saved, have you ever been lost? Have you ever been brought into the very presence of God as a lost sinner, with that wicked heart exposed to God himself. Have you?? If you have never been lost, I can assure you that you are not found. Saul was not lost until the Lord stopped him on the road to Damascus. It was the Lord who showed Saul that he was a lost sinner. It was the Lord that showed me that I was a lost sinner. I was certain of what I had, Just as Saul was certain of what he had. I was going about in my own self righteousness, with a salvation of my own making, just like Saul was. I didn't know what salvation was, and neither did Saul. But I praise the Lord that HE stopped me, and made me to know that I was a lost sinner. Do you know what salvation is? Salvation is putting all your hope, trusting everything in Christ. It is putting all of your hope for eternity in Christ. Did any man or preacher or other person have anything to do with your salvation? If so, your salvation will not carry you through eternity. Was your salvation brought about by dreams, visions, or voices? If so, your hope is not in Christ, but in your dreams or visions. Saul's hope was in his own righteousness. Where does your hope lie? I believe that if any person will stop what they are doing, and take a good look at their life, and your salvation, then ask the Lord. He will show you if you are saved or not. Let me ask you this... are you willing to bet your eternal soul that you are saved? Are you going to gamble on eternity? I think that Saul would have made that gamble. We all know that he would have been wrong. If your eyes have never been opened, you might make that gamble also.