Renewing The Mind By Faith

An example of a spiritual rebirth leading to a renewal of the spirit of the mind is demonstrated by the story of Saul, who later became known as Paul. He was the son of a Pharisee and a fervent believer in the Pharisees religious doctrine (Galatians 1:13-14).
Saul was convinced by his upbringing and education that the Jewish oral and written laws, including the five books of Moses, were the only true repositories of the word of God. The preservation and promotion of those laws among the Jewish people became Saul's primary mission in life.
He demonstrated exceptional capabilities in hunting down and persecuting those who believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. One spectacular display of his many accomplishments in hunting down and persecuting Christians is described in Acts 7:54-60, where he personally supervised the stoning to death of Stephen, an apostle of Jesus.
Saul's success brought him much fame and respect among his fellow Pharisees that he requested and obtained authority from the high priest to hunt down Christians in Damascus.
On the way to Damascus, Jesus appeared to Saul in the form of a blinding light. Saul fell off his horse onto the ground, and heard a voice asks, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
Not knowing from where the voice came, yet subordinating himself to its authority, Saul asked, "Who are you, Lord?"
The voice answered, "I am Jesus."
For three days, Saul remained blind from the light that had struck him. He did not eat or drink during those three days. On the fourth day, Jesus instructed his apostle, Ananias to go to the house of Judas where Saul was temporarily residing.
Ananias put his hand on Saul, as Jesus had instructed him to do, and "Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes and he regained his sight" (Acts 9:17-19).
Upon the restoration of his sight, Saul asked to be baptized, and he changed his name to Paul, a name he would carry proudly all his life. From that day forward, Paul dedicated his life to spreading the gospel of Jesus to all corners of the earth (Acts 9:20-22).

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