Acts 9:18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,
When Saul had an encounter with the Risen Saviour Jesus, he was blinded by the bright light for 3 days. God sent an evangelist and prophet by the name Ananias to place his hands on “the murderer Saul” and baptize him as “the Missionary Paul”. The physical evidence served as the spiritual witness to the enlightenment of Saul’s heart.
Saul was fanatical Jew who pioneered the persecution of the early church and Christians. Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples (Acts 9:1). The Lord shut his physical vision for 3 days and circumcised the eyes of his heart to see Him. Until he had the physical vision, his spiritual vision was blinded and he could not see the truth. When the Lord opened his eyes, the scales not only fell from his physical eyes but his spiritual eyes were enlightened to the gospel truth. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God (vs 20a).
Once the eyes of Paul were enlightened he became a new man. The same hands that rushed to torture Christians carried the gospel. His life transformed upside down, inside out. There was a conceptual change in his heart about Jesus, His life, death and resurrection. He immediately surrendered to obey His commandments and passionately served Him for the rest of his life.
This is why Paul prayed for the church of Ephesus that their eyes must be opened to see the hope of His calling. Paul was able to grasp his divine calling and vision when his spiritual eyes were opened.
Three evidences of Enlightened Spiritual Eyes:
- Concepts: The Holy Spirit will become our personal tutor and will teach the deep secrets, concepts and divine perceptions from the Word of God. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed (Isaiah 50:4).
- Commands: There will be a passion to serve, reverential fear and implicit obedience to His commandments.
- Circumcision: The heart will be circumcised, meaning, separated from ungodliness, worldliness and spiritual blindness.
Enlightened hearts are brightened conceptually, surrendered reverentially and circumcised inwardly.
Prayer: Dearest Holy Spirit, enlighten my heart so that I may know the hope of my calling and purpose. Amen.
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