“…’If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:20-21 NIV

Recently I was criticized by a nonbeliever whom I know, for believing that Jesus is Lord.

That this person would do this made me sad for a while, but then my peace was restored.

God brought to my mind a hopeful thought of the caterpillar to butterfly metamorphosis instead.

I then saw my critic as a “caterpillar,” whose spiritual blindness could eventually be “shed.”

For God can transform those who are opposed to Him; for instance, Saul became the Apostle Paul.

Though once a persecutor of Christians himself, he was changed and responded to God’s call.

As Saul, he consented to the stoning of Stephen, and it’s possible that Stephen’s prayer at his own death…

brought about Saul’s Damascus Road conversion. “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin,” were the last words from Stephen’s breath.

P. A. Oltrogge

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”  2 Corinthians 5:17

(Account of Stephen’s ministry and Saul’s conversion, Acts 6-9 and 13:9 on Saul being also called Paul)

It can surely be said that the Apostle Paul went from denying Christ to fully relying on Him.

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