Is Anyone Too Far Gone for God?
Think of the one person you'd be most shocked to see walk into church and give their life to Jesus. Maybe it's a family member who mocks your faith every holiday. Maybe it's the coworker who makes every shift harder. Be honest: if they walked down the aisle next Sunday, would your first reaction be joy, or suspicion?
Most of us have filed somebody under "never." And some of us have filed ourselves there. So is anyone too far gone for God to save? Acts 9 answers that question with the most unlikely conversion in the New Testament.
Who Was Saul Before He Met Jesus?
We know him as Paul: the missionary, the church planter, the man who wrote much of the New Testament. But the early church knew him as Saul, and that name made them afraid.
Saul stood by and approved when Stephen was stoned (Acts 7:58). Then he went house to house, dragging men and women off to prison (Acts 8:3). Acts 9 opens with him "still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord." He asked the high priest for letters of authority and set out on a roughly 150-mile trip to Damascus to arrest more believers.
Saul wasn't careless about God. He was sincere, serious, and zealous. He was also completely wrong. He was fighting the very God he thought he was serving. If anyone was too far gone, it was Saul.
What Happened on the Damascus Road?
Near Damascus, a light from heaven flashed around Saul, and he fell to the ground. Then he heard a voice: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
Repeating a name like that carries urgency, but it also carries love. Jesus spoke the same way to people He cared about: "Martha, Martha," and "Simon, Simon." It's the voice of a father grabbing his son by the shoulders before he steps into traffic.
Saul asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The answer changed everything: "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting." Saul had never laid a hand on Jesus. But what he did to Jesus' people, he did to Jesus Himself.
The man who set out to lead believers away in chains was led into Damascus by the hand, blind, for three days. Jesus didn't wait for Saul to clean himself up. Jesus went after him. Years later, Paul would call himself the worst of sinners and the proof of Jesus' patience (1 Timothy 1:15–16).
No one is too far gone for God to save. Not the person you've written off. Not you.
What About the People Who Were Afraid of Saul?
The story doesn't end on the road. Jesus also spoke to an ordinary believer in Damascus named Ananias and told him to go pray for Saul.
Ananias had heard the stories. He knew what Saul had done and why he had come to town. His fear was honest, and he took it straight to the Lord. Jesus didn't promise him it would be safe. Instead, He told Ananias what He saw: "This man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites." Saul had already seen Ananias coming in a vision. Jesus was working on the other side of Ananias's fear before he ever knocked on the door.
So Ananias went, put his hands on the man he feared most, and said two words: "Brother Saul." Something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again.
We tend to trust what we can see: a person's record, their reputation, what they've done to us. Acts 9 calls us to trust what Jesus sees instead.
Did Saul Have to Do This Alone?
Saul started carrying the name of Jesus immediately, preaching that Jesus is the Son of God. And it cost him. The people he once worked with plotted to kill him, and believers lowered him over the city wall in a basket so he could escape.
When he reached Jerusalem, the disciples were afraid of him too. Then Barnabas, whose name means "son of encouragement," put his arm around Saul, brought him to the apostles, and vouched for him. Later, when another plot formed, the believers got him safely out of town.
Paul gets the headlines, but he never carried the name of Jesus alone. Neither do we.
What Kind of Church Does Jesus Build?
Acts 9 ends with this summary: "So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord, encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers" (Acts 9:31).
Think about who was in that church. People who had been dragged from their homes. People who had buried Stephen. A scared disciple named Ananias. An encourager named Barnabas. And the man who once hunted them all.
That's not a church any of us would have built. It's a church only Jesus can build, and He's still building it today, in Morristown and around the world.
So, Is Anyone Too Far Gone for God?
No. Not the person you've filed under "never." Not the one who hurt you. Not you.
Here's a simple next step. Picture the person you've written off, and pray for them by name this week: "Jesus, You spoke first to Saul. Speak to them. And open my eyes to see them the way You do."
And if you're the one who has always felt too far gone, hear this: Jesus knows your name, and He's calling it to save you, not to condemn you.
Don't stay blind to what Jesus sees.
Want to keep going? Watch the full sermon above, use the discussion questions below with your family or small group, or join us on Sunday at Hillcrest Baptist Church. [Plan your visit]
Resource Tools
Discussion Questions (Family or Small Group)
- Read Acts 9:1–2. Before he met Jesus, what was Saul passionate about? How can someone be sincere about God and still be fighting Jesus?
- Jesus asked, "Why are you persecuting me?" (9:4). What does that tell you about how Jesus feels about His people?
- Ananias had good reasons to be afraid (9:13–14). What did Jesus give him instead of a promise of safety?
- Ananias's first words were "Brother Saul" (9:17). Who would be hardest for you to call "brother" or "sister"? Why?
- Barnabas vouched for Saul when no one else would (9:26–27). Who in your life needs someone to come alongside them?
- Have you ever felt too far gone for God? What in this story speaks to that?
- What is one step you'll take this week toward someone you've written off?
For kids: Saul was mean to Jesus' friends, but Jesus still loved him and changed his heart. Who is someone that is hard to love? Let's pray for them together.
Prayer Prompt
"Jesus, You spoke first to Saul when he was still fighting You. Speak to [name]. Open my eyes to see them the way You do. Give me the courage of Ananias to take the next step, and make me a Barnabas to someone who needs it. Amen."
Scripture for Further Study
- Acts 7:54–8:3: Stephen's death and Saul's persecution
- Acts 22:1–16 and 26:9–18: Paul tells his own conversion story
- Galatians 1:13–24: Paul describes his former life and his calling
- 1 Timothy 1:12–17: "The worst of sinners," and the patience of Jesus
- 2 Corinthians 11:30–33: Paul boasts about the basket over the wall
- Acts 4:36–37: Who Barnabas was
This post is adapted from the sermon "The Vision Nobody Saw Coming" (Acts 9:1–31)
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Hillcrest Baptist Church