June 10, 2010
Acts 26
Pastor Paul Turbedsky
Acts 26:9-20 - A Change of Mind, A Change of Heart
We all have personal stories about how we came to Christ. Some, like Timothy, have been in the church since “infancy” (2 Tim.3:14-15), nurtured over the years before coming to a moment of decision in accepting Christ as Savior. In fact, my story is much like that.
Others, like the Apostle Paul, came to Christ through a personal crisis (Acts 26:12-18) or a challenging lifestyle (addiction, abandonment, abuse, etc.). Paul’s “day job” before coming to Christ was to persecute Christians. He had an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus that radically changed his life.
No two faith journeys are the same, but all have a common denominator. At some point, there was a change of mind and turning to the Lord to be saved from sin and receive a new heart.
We know that sin is birthed in our minds through our thoughts. Those wrong thoughts and beliefs lead to wrong behaviors. The Greek definition of “repent” is to “change one’s mind.” Paul went from a persecutor of Christians to being one of their greatest promoters (I told you it was a radical change!). His repentant heart led to new thoughts and beliefs that resulted in righteous behaviors and actions.
Being saved through repentance is more than acknowledging your sin – it involves having a change of mind and heart that is reflected in how you live your life on a daily basis. Being willing to admit that you are wrong is the first step in being right with God. The next step is to allow the change to be seen in all that you do (Acts 26:20). This is one time when changing your mind is both a good thing and a “God thing.” Look at what it did for Paul and how that personal change helped a multitude of others come to Christ - even to this present day!
Know your story, be willing to share it and most importantly, may your life reflect Christ as your Savior.
Did you know? Pastor Paul played rugby for 15 years before being retired by his wife, Desiree. She gave him a fishing pole and asked that he not play any more!
