One “yes” could change everything

Pastor Kevin Wade
 
Here's something I want you to wrestle with: Salvation isn't the finish line. It's the starting line.

When God saved Saul on the road to Damascus, that was just the beginning. Grace didn't stop there – and it doesn't stop for us either. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10 that we are God's workmanship, created for good works. God didn't just save us from something. He saved us for something. He saved us so we could live a life of faithfulness and purpose. He saved us so we could live a life that looks more and more like Jesus every single day.
If we’ve been treating our conversion experience as the whole story, it's time to turn the page.

Focus on following
When Saul encountered Jesus on that road, he asked two questions that changed everything: “Who are you, Lord?” and then “What shall I do, Lord?”

Let’s focus on Saul’s second question. Because Jesus gave him – and gives us – the same answer He always gives: Follow me.

That's it. That's the whole thing.

Not a 12-step program. Not a complicated theology exam. Just follow Jesus. When you don't know what to do next – follow Jesus. Salvation looks back to a defining event, but then looks forward as our lives begin to reflect the salvation that has taken place.

If you're spinning your wheels right now wondering what God wants you to do, go back to the basics. Open the Gospels. Read how Jesus lived. Then go do that.

Take a hand, give a hand
Saul didn't make it alone, and neither will you.

After his conversion, God sent a guy named Ananias to him. Ananias wasn't famous. He doesn't show up much in the rest of the story. But he said yes when God called, and because of that one yes, the trajectory of Christian history was altered forever.

Here's what inspires me about Ananias: His story wasn't about him. It was about Jesus. He showed up, did the one thing God asked him to do, introduced Saul to the church, and stepped off the stage of history. That's it. And that was enough.

Then there's Barnabas – the guy who vouched for Saul when nobody else would touch him. When everyone in Jerusalem was still afraid of the guy who used to arrest and kill Christians, Barnabas walked him into the room and said, “He's changed. I'll vouch for him.”
We all need a Barnabas. And we all need to be one.

Practical steps

• Who in your life might need someone to show up with encouragement?
• If you've been doing life alone, get connected. The Christian life was never meant to be a solo journey. Find your people. Get into community. Let people in.

No undercover Christians
When you follow Jesus, things start to happen. Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit. He was baptized – a public declaration that he was on Jesus’ team. And then he immediately started proclaiming the gospel everywhere he went. He couldn't help it. When Jesus changes your life, you want everyone to know.

But here's the fruit nobody puts on the highlight reel: suffering.

Jesus told Ananias, “I'll show him [Paul] how much he must suffer for my name's sake.” That's not a punishment – that's a calling. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:12 that everyone who wants to live a godly life will be persecuted. If you're not experiencing any resistance from the enemy, it might be worth asking whether you're actually in the game.

But here's the good news: Suffering isn't the end. It's a picture of resurrection. Every time Paul got knocked down and got back up, it pointed to Jesus.

We should not be surprised when following Jesus costs us something. Christian or not, we can’t get through this life without suffering. It makes sense to suffer for someone and something worthwhile.

When suffering hits, we must lean into it. Pray through it. Rejoice in it – not because it feels good, but because God's Spirit is in you and resurrection always follows death.

It’s easy to complicate the Christian life. Yet Jesus calls us with clarity: Follow him, join others and let the world know He’s real.