4. An Example from History (Continued)

The risen King of Kings and Lord of Lords met Saul that day, and his life was forever transformed for the better. He soon withdrew to Sinai in Arabia to devote himself to the study of the things of God. God had chosen him to be his instrument to bring the good news of God's grace to the Gentile or non-Jewish world. He would be the instrument of much of the explanatory letters in the holy Injil.

Saul previously had intense zeal for God and the things of God. However, he did not know God. If we are very zealous for God and his law but do not know God, even our religious works are in vain:

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags...(Isaiah [after the Zabur] 64:6).

Why are even our zealous religious acts unacceptable to God? Because he is holy, and we are sinners. Even our best outward acts are invariably tainted by false and mixed motives. For example, a man gives to the poor, but does so in order to be esteemed by men, and not for the glory of God and the good of his neighbor. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than higher thoughts" (Isaiah [after the Zabur] 55:8,9).