How Could Saul Be So Wrong?

"And Saul was consenting unto his (Stephen's) death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church...
As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison." -(Acts 8:1,3)

"And as he (Saul) journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
And he fell to the earth, and heard a Voice saying unto him, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?'
And he said, 'Who art thou, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.' " -(Acts 9:3-5)

Ok, so here was Saul, one of the top religious leaders of the Jews (who he knew to be God's "chosen people", and to whom were given the law of Moses, the "oracles of God"). Also, he was "blameless in the Jews' religion", doing what he sincerely thought was "the Lord's work", and thinking (again sincerely) that he was doing God service by eliminating all of these supposed "heretics", the followers of "the Way". He thought he was so RIGHT! Yet, one fateful day on that road to Damascus, JESUS (the very "Way" that he had been persecuting) appears to him in a blinding Light, and let's him know, in no uncertain terms, that he was instead .... WRONG! Talk about being confused? Wow! Saul's world was literally turned upside down! But how could this be?

How could Saul be so wrong?

Over the course of time, the Lord Himself would show him the answer, revealing to him the message of the "new covenant": the "gospel (or "good news") of the grace of God" through faith in Jesus Christ Crucified, of what it means to be "IN CHRIST": A message so opposite to the way he had believed, causing him who once had been so "blind", to now "see". Fortunately for us who desire the truth, the Holy Ghost -through the Word- reveals this answer to us very plainly.
Saul, before his "Damascus road" experience, lived his life according to "THE RIGHTEOUSNESS (his, that is) WHICH IS IN THE LAW" (see Phil. 3:6,9a; Rom. 10:5); And to go right along with this, he had confidence in "the flesh" (in his own background/heritage, talents, ability, learning, etc.) (see Phil. 3:4-6; Gal. 1:13-14). He believed as did his fellow Pharisees, the very ones who had been responsible for having Jesus killed a few years earlier, that it was his solemn duty to uphold the keeping of the "Torah" (a voluminous book which contained not only the ten commandments, but also the ceremonial laws, AND various man-made traditions that were added throughout the years!) In his epistle to the Romans, he recounts the religious beliefs of this ruling sect of which he was a part:

"... They have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness (Jesus Christ and faith in the Cross), and going about to establish their own righteousness (self-works of "the law"), have not submitted themselves (pride and self-will) unto the righteousness of God....
For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them ("the law" needs to be kept perfectly in every point, or the person is guilty of violating the WHOLE law! -James 2:10)." -(Rom. 10:2-3,5)

In other words, Saul had been living a life of "self-righteousness" in the law (in legalism), based upon works and performance on his part to earn favor with God. Yet amazingly, in his own eyes, he already had a privileged position with God, being a member of His chosen people who had the revealed Word of God, whose fathers were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and... out there of course in the world were the gentile heathen nations, who were the real unsaved bunch!; And now all of a sudden, here were these "blasphemers" from "the Way", who were audaciously telling people some lie that Jesus was risen and alive, and that they did NOT need to keep " 'the traditions of the fathers' (Gal. 1:14) in order to be right with God- which Saul had been taught were so very important! How DARE they?! They must be STOPPED, for the good of humanity!
So there was a lot of religious pride, anger, and hatred involved here in Saul's thinking (as there also is today among the "religious" crowd toward true Christians!).
See any similarities here between him vs. Christians and... Cain vs. Abel??.... Ishmael vs. Isaac?? ... Esau vs. Jacob?? ... Joseph's brothers vs. Joseph?? ... Saul vs. David?? Those of the flesh have always tried to kill those of the Spirit; There is a supernatural enmity there (see Gen. 3:15), established by God Himself.

"But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now." -(Gal. 4:29)

Ok, we have looked at murderous Saul and his spiritual condition before his "conversion"; So now let's look at what he became after his conversion: The beloved PAUL THE APOSTLE, filled with the Holy Ghost, the fruit of the Spirit, the love of God, and ... writer of almost the entirety of the new testament! So what made the dramatic difference? "THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD WITHOUT THE LAW" (see Rom. 3:21-22; 10:4; Phil. 3:9).
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" -(Rom. 10:4).
And to go along with this, Paul now had NO confidence in "the flesh" (in his own background/heritage, talents, ability, learning, etc.). Those things which he had once considered as "gain" to him, he now counted to be "loss" for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord: for Whom he suffered the loss of all things, and counted them but dung, that he could win Christ." No longer was his goal to try to keep the letter of the law and to persecute people. NOW his goal would be.... "That I may know Him (Christ), and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death." -(Phil. 3:10)
GONE was his own self-righteousness. He now clearly saw himself as GOD saw him: as NOTHING without Christ (see 2 Cor. 12:11; 1 Cor. 3:7; 15:8-9; Eph. 3:8; Jhn 15:5). And now he was commissioned to spread the message that set him free: "The Gospel of the Grace of God (Acts 20:24) through faith in Jesus Christ Crucified".
The focus of his preaching and teaching, to both the unconverted and to CHRISTIANS FOR DAILY LIVING would now be upon THREE THINGS:

#1) JESUS (Gal. 1:15-16; Acts 17:18; 28:23,31; Phil. 3:8,10),

#2) GOD'S IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH FAITH IN "THE CROSS" (1 Cor. 1:17-18,23-24; 2:1-2; Gal. 6:14-15; 5:11; Phil. 3:9; Rom. 3:21-28; 10:3-4; Acts 15:10-11), and

#3) THE KINGDOM OF GOD (Acts 19:8; 20:25; 28:23,31; Rom. 14:17; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21).

To the Lord Jesus Christ be glory and dominion, world without end!!!!! Amen!