Special Study Outline

PARADISE ROAD
When it comes to biblical accounts of Christian persecutors, none can compare with that of Saul of Tarsus. Luke introduces us to this man in his account of the death of Stephen (Acts 7). Because of his bold preaching, Stephen becomes the first to give his life for the sake of Christianity, and interestingly—if not significantly—in the description of this first martyrdom, we read the first words about Saul, symbolizing perhaps his significance as an enemy of Christ. Luke informs us, regarding those who stoned Stephen, that “...the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul” (Acts 7:58). Though Saul apparently did not participate in the actual stoning, by his “garment-keeping”, he was “...consenting to his [Stephen’s] death” (Acts 8:1). Saul then led a persecution of his own. “As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison” (Acts 8:3). Because of his hatred for that which he deemed to be against the ways of God, Saul conscientiously opposed the Christian religion in every way possible, even to the point of physical violence. Wherever the saints were abiding, whether they hid themselves or not, Saul found them and punished them mercilessly. He was the vulture and the church was his carcass. When “...those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4), Saul, not content just to drive them away from Jerusalem, went and acquired permission from the high priest to pursue the Christians as far as Damascus (Acts 9:1,2). Hence, Saul’s contempt for Christianity is made even more strikingly evident by his desire to take his persecution efforts on the road. As he made his way to Damascus, however, perspective took a sudden change in Saul’s life. “And as he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ And the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do’” (Acts 9:3-6, NKJV). It is intriguing to read of Saul the persecutor becoming Saul the penitent. Whereas, prior to his confrontation with Jesus, Saul was only concerned with the death of Christians, his only concern now is doing the will of the Lord. Upon his entrance into Damascus, Ananias the disciple instructs him on how to be saved, and subsequently Saul is baptized into Christ (Acts 9:10-18; 22:12-16). He was on his way to hell, but he turned his direction to heaven. Saul went from the Damascus road to the Paradise Road. Everyone is on a road to somewhere. Some are on the road to earthly riches. They are studying, working, preparing and seeking financial success in this world. They know how much annual capital they will earn, what kind of houses they will own, what kind of car(s) they will drive; everything is all mapped out. Others are on the road to financial destruction. They are flippant with finances, careless with currency. They like to play. They like to gamble. They are stingy, dishonest, and overcome with the “deceitfulness of riches” (Matt. 13:22). The road that they are on leads to dissolution, and someday they will wake up to find themselves in utter poverty. There are some people who are on the road to marital success. They are seeking God first in their homes. They are desirous of things that are eternal, things that last. They are heeding the words of Jesus when He said: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matt. 6:19-21). These are the couples who pray together and for one another. These are the couples who spend time together at the feet of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 6:17) looking into the “perfect law of liberty” (Jas. 1:25) and meditating on the “law of the Lord” (cf. Josh. 1:8). They believe the words of the Psalmist concerning the benefits of the word of God: “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Ps. 1:2-3). “When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.” (Ps. 63:6-7). “I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word...My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.” (Ps. 119:15-16, 48). The homes where these passages are applied are happy ones, absent of worldliness and strife. Others are on the road to marital distress. They spend time, not in God’s word and prayer, but in arguing, bickering, and fault-finding. Worldliness abounds in their homes. These are the couples who scream at their teenagers for poor grades in school, but never even causally acquire about their spiritual progress. These are the couples who argue about money, sex, and in-laws, but rarely if ever discuss spiritual matters. Things are wrong, the signs are everywhere, but no efforts are made to change and correct. This road leads to divorce, despair, and destruction. Some people are on the road to everlasting ruin. Misery is their companion and hell is their destination. Their course is, at this point, set in stone and they are divulging deeper and deeper into sin. Paul speaks of them in the book of Philippians: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things” (Phil 3:18-19). Where does their path lead? To destruction. Many of those on this road rationalize that the God of mercy and grace would never punish the disobedient. If that is what you believe, then you need to read about a global flood (Gen. 7,8), a city’s termination (Gen. 19:24,25), a man named Uzzah (2 Sam. 6:4-7), two priests named Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:1,2), a couple named Annaias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10), and the list goes on and on. Telling ourselves something does not make it true. Your self-talk may be “I’m going to heaven,” but the Bible is still true. “And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:7-9, NKJV). Punishment is reserved for the ungodly. And then there are some people who are treading the path down Paradise Road. God is their leader. Jesus is their Savior. The Bible is their guide. Reality is their mental state. On and on they tread, pursuing the pathway of godliness. They are persecuted. They are mistreated. Life is not always fair to them, but they continue on because one day it will all be worth it (Isa. 25:8; Rev. 7:17). Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13-14). It is the faithful few who are on the road that eventually leads to heaven, but their rewards will be great. “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Rom. 8:18). “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matt. 5:11-12). “For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.” (Heb. 10:34,35). If you are a pilgrim traveler on Paradise Road, be encouraged. This world will mistreat you, but let that be your sign that you are doing right. Remember Paul’s words to Timothy: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Tim. 3:12). You are guaranteed the victory. “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:54-57). If you are a faithful Christian, you can and should know for sure that eternal life awaits you on the other side. Because of Jesus, at the end of Paradise Road, there is “...an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet 1:3-4). Bryan Dunaway Grace and Peace Ministries www.gandpministries.org

When it comes to biblical accounts of Christian persecutors, none can compare with that of Saul of Tarsus. Luke introduces us to this man in his account of the death of Stephen (Acts 7). Because of his bold preaching, Stephen becomes the first to give his life for the sake of Christianity, and interestingly—if not significantly—in the description of this first martyrdom, we read the first words about Saul, symbolizing perhaps his significance as an enemy of Christ. Luke informs us, regarding those who stoned Stephen, that “...the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul” (Acts 7:58). Though Saul apparently did not participate in the actual stoning, by his “garment-keeping”, he was “...consenting to his [Stephen’s] death” (Acts 8:1).

Saul then led a persecution of his own. “As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison” (Acts 8:3). Because of his hatred for that which he deemed to be against the ways of God, Saul conscientiously opposed the Christian religion in every way possible, even to the point of physical violence. Wherever the saints were abiding, whether they hid themselves or not, Saul found them and punished them mercilessly. He was the vulture and the church was his carcass.

When “...those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4), Saul, not content just to drive them away from Jerusalem, went and acquired permission from the high priest to pursue the Christians as far as Damascus (Acts 9:1,2). Hence, Saul’s contempt for Christianity is made even more strikingly evident by his desire to take his persecution efforts on the road. As he made his way to Damascus, however, perspective took a sudden change in Saul’s life.

“And as he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ And the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do’” (Acts 9:3-6, NKJV). It is intriguing to read of Saul the persecutor becoming Saul the penitent. Whereas, prior to his confrontation with Jesus, Saul was only concerned with the death of Christians, his only concern now is doing the will of the Lord. Upon his entrance into Damascus, Ananias the disciple instructs him on how to be saved, and subsequently Saul is baptized into Christ (Acts 9:10-18; 22:12-16). He was on his way to hell, but he turned his direction to heaven. Saul went from the Damascus road to the Paradise Road.

Everyone is on a road to somewhere. Some are on the road to earthly riches. They are studying, working, preparing and seeking financial success in this world. They know how much annual capital they will earn, what kind of houses they will own, what kind of car(s) they will drive; everything is all mapped out. Others are on the road to financial destruction. They are flippant with finances, careless with currency. They like to play. They like to gamble. They are stingy, dishonest, and overcome with the “deceitfulness of riches” (Matt. 13:22). The road that they are on leads to dissolution, and someday they will wake up to find themselves in utter poverty.

There are some people who are on the road to marital success. They are seeking God first in their homes. They are desirous of things that are eternal, things that last.

They are heeding the words of Jesus when He said: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matt. 6:19-21).

These are the couples who pray together and for one another. These are the couples who spend time together at the feet of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 6:17) looking into the “perfect law of liberty” (Jas. 1:25) and meditating on the “law of the Lord” (cf. Josh. 1:8). They believe the words of the Psalmist concerning the benefits of the word of God: “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Ps. 1:2-3). “When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.” (Ps. 63:6-7). “I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word...My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.” (Ps. 119:15-16, 48). The homes where these passages are applied are happy ones, absent of worldliness and strife.

Others are on the road to marital distress. They spend time, not in God’s word and prayer, but in arguing, bickering, and fault-finding. Worldliness abounds in their homes. These are the couples who scream at their teenagers for poor grades in school, but never even causally acquire about their spiritual progress. These are the couples who argue about money, sex, and in-laws, but rarely if ever discuss spiritual matters. Things are wrong, the signs are everywhere, but no efforts are made to change and correct. This road leads to divorce, despair, and destruction.

Some people are on the road to everlasting ruin. Misery is their companion and hell is their destination. Their course is, at this point, set in stone and they are divulging deeper and deeper into sin. Paul speaks of them in the book of Philippians: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things” (Phil 3:18-19). Where does their path lead? To destruction.

Many of those on this road rationalize that the God of mercy and grace would never punish the disobedient. If that is what you believe, then you need to read about a global flood (Gen. 7,8), a city’s termination (Gen. 19:24,25), a man named Uzzah (2 Sam. 6:4-7), two priests named Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:1,2), a couple named Annaias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10), and the list goes on and on. Telling ourselves something does not make it true. Your self-talk may be “I’m going to heaven,” but the Bible is still true. “And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:7-9, NKJV). Punishment is reserved for the ungodly.

And then there are some people who are treading the path down Paradise Road. God is their leader. Jesus is their Savior. The Bible is their guide. Reality is their mental state. On and on they tread, pursuing the pathway of godliness. They are persecuted. They are mistreated. Life is not always fair to them, but they continue on because one day it will all be worth it (Isa. 25:8; Rev. 7:17). Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).

It is the faithful few who are on the road that eventually leads to heaven, but their rewards will be great. “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Rom. 8:18). “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matt. 5:11-12). “For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.” (Heb. 10:34,35).

If you are a pilgrim traveler on Paradise Road, be encouraged. This world will mistreat you, but let that be your sign that you are doing right. Remember Paul’s words to Timothy: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Tim. 3:12). You are guaranteed the victory. “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:54-57).

If you are a faithful Christian, you can and should know for sure that eternal life awaits you on the other side. Because of Jesus, at the end of Paradise Road, there is “...an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet 1:3-4).

Bryan Dunaway

Grace and Peace Ministries