God's grace manifests in Saul's conversion as His undeserved, initiating mercy that saved an actively hostile persecutor without Saul doing anything to deserve it.
Saul of Tarsus was not searching for God or asking forgiveness; he was on his way to Damascus to arrest believers. God intervened anyway, knocking him from his horse and confronting him, 'Why persecutest thou me?' Rather than destroying him, God poured out eternal life on him. Les Feldick calls this the most perfect picture of grace in Scripture — a rebel saved by grace alone.
Acts 9:4-5 — Records God's direct intervention to stop Saul and reveal Jesus, showing grace meeting a persecutor.
Galatians 1:15-16 — Paul's own testimony that God called him by grace, not by works, to reveal His Son.
According to Acts 9, Saul was still breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord when he went to the high priest and asked for letters to Damascus so he could arrest believers and bring them bound to Jerusalem. This plan was interrupted on the road: a light from heaven shone around him, he fell to the earth, and a voice asked, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' Saul answered, 'Who art thou, Lord?' and the voice replied, 'I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.' No verse records Saul asking for mercy, praying, promising to reform, or doing any work before God stopped him — the story simply shows God taking the initiative. Paul later summarized it with the words: 'But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.'
Les Feldick calls the road to Damascus 'the most perfect picture of the grace of God in all of Scripture.' He points out that Saul of Tarsus was a religious zealot who had been committing believers to prison and voting to have them killed. Rather than despatching him, God saved him. Les says this is the very opposite of human justice, which would have 'zapped' Saul. He emphasizes that God did not wait for Saul to clean up his life or to beg for mercy. Saul was still breathing out threatenings when God confronted him with a flash of light and the question, 'Why persecutest thou me?' Les's point is that Saul contributed nothing to his salvation; he simply asked, 'Lord, what would you have me to do?' He had not earned it, and this is why Paul is called the 'epitome of grace.' According to Les, the same grace reaches every undone sinner. Paul's calling in Galatians 1:15-16 shows God's purpose: He called Saul by grace to reveal His Son in him and to preach to the Gentiles. Yet grace is never to be abused. As Les often says, 'Grace is not license.' The security that comes from being chosen and called by God gives the believer rest, not room to sin.
Les describes Saul of Tarsus as a religious zealot who was contrary to God. He hated the name Jesus of Nazareth, persecuted those who had faith in Jesus, committed many to prison, and even voted to have them put to death. In this rebellion, Les says Saul was under the satanic power of opposing, so God's grace was rising to the 'very high point of the pouring out of God's grace on a sinful man.'
From a human perspective, Les says the expected response would be to 'zap' Saul — to punish or remove him. Instead, God saved him, and this is what makes the event the epitome of grace. God could have reduced Saul to a 'grease spot,' but grace rose to the occasion and met him in his rebellion. Even while Saul was still breathing slaughter and threatenings, God did not strike him with death; He struck him with eternal life.
Les uses Paul as the 'pattern' — the original example — to show that God's longsuffering toward the chief sinner extends to everyone who would believe afterward. Because grace saves without a cause, no one is beyond God's mercy. At the same time, Les is emphatic that 'grace is not license.' The same grace that saved Paul should lead believers to rest in God's purpose and security, not to sin.
Grace is Not License
Les teaches that the grace which saves is not permission to sin — believers can rest in God's purpose because they were His before creation.
Most Perfect Picture of Grace
Les identifies Saul's Damascus road encounter as the clearest example of God's grace because Saul was a religious zealot who hated Christ.
God Saved Instead of Zapping
Les shows that God responded to Saul's persecution by saving him, not punishing him, which is the heart of grace.
Saul Did Nothing to Earn It
Les emphasizes that Saul did not deserve, work for, or contribute anything to his salvation; he was simply confronted, saved, and asked what the Lord wanted him to do.
The High Point of Grace on a Sinner
Les explains that Saul's rebellion was energized by Satan, yet God's grace was poured out on him — the supreme display of grace on a sinful man.
Called by Grace to Preach to Gentiles
Les reads Paul's own words in Galatians 1, showing that God separated Saul from his mother's womb and called him by grace to reveal His Son to the Gentiles.
Transformed in a Moment
Les stresses that God saved Saul while he was still breathing slaughter and threats, rather than waiting for Saul to reform his life.
A Pattern of Longsuffering
Les explains that Paul was saved without a cause and became the pattern of God's longsuffering for everyone who would later believe.
Acts 9:1: And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
Shows Saul's active hostility against believers at the very moment God's grace intercepted him.
Acts 9:4: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
God's first recorded words to Saul are a personal question that reveals He was personally touched by the persecution of His people.
Acts 9:5: 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.
Jesus identifies Himself as the one Saul was persecuting, making the encounter a direct revelation of grace to an enemy.
Galatians 1:15: But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
Paul's own explanation that his calling was not based on his works but on God's gracious choice.
Galatians 1:16: To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
The purpose of God's grace in Paul's life was to reveal His Son and send him to the Gentiles.
Romans 8:38-39: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Because believers were God's before creation, nothing can separate them from His love — the security grace provides.
No. Saul was on his way to Damascus to arrest believers when God stopped him. Les Feldick emphasizes that Saul was not seeking God or begging for mercy; God initiated the encounter in grace while Saul was still an enemy.
Nothing. Les stresses that Saul did not deserve it, did not work for it, and did not do anything for it. The only response recorded is Saul asking, 'Lord, what would you have me to do?' after God had already saved him.
Les says God's grace rises to the occasion. Human reasoning would have 'zapped' Saul, but God chose to save him instead. This is why Les calls Saul's conversion the epitome and high point of grace poured out on a sinful man.
No. Les consistently says 'Grace is not license.' The same grace that saved Paul gives believers security and rest in God's purpose, but it does not give permission to sin.
Watch the Teaching: Does God Harden Hearts? Romans 9:18-24 and the Potter's Clay