How did God show grace and mercy to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus?
On the road to Damascus, God could have justly struck Saul down, but instead He retreated into His sovereignty and poured out mercy. By grace He spared and saved Saul, who immediately succumbed to that grace, humbly asked, 'Who art thou Lord?' and became ready to do whatever God wanted.
Les explains that God could have zapped Saul on the road to Damascus and been done with him, but instead He retreated into His sovereignty, saying He would have compassion because He is God and does not have to ask anybody. God spared Saul and saved him by His grace, as 1 Corinthians 15:10 says, by the grace of God I am what I am. Saul succumbed immediately to the grace of God, responded, Who art thou Lord? as a humble seeking sinner saved by grace, and became ready to do whatever God wanted. God had also told Ananias in Damascus not to worry, because He would send this man far hence to the Gentiles, where he would suffer for His name's sake.