Before Saul was met by Christ on the way to Damascus, he was, no doubt, a brilliant, religious, zealous, and strong young man. But when Christ intervened, this strong man became weak. This young man was awfully strong. He was taking the lead to persecute the believers, to devastate the church, yet after he was met by the Lord he became very weak. After Saul fell and rose from the ground, he had become blind and needed someone to lead him by the hand (Acts 9:8). This was the Lord's dealing with Saul. Before this he would have considered himself marvelously knowledgeable, knowing all things concerning man and God. Now the Lord made him blind so that he could see nothing until the Lord opened his eyes, especially his inner eyes, and commissioned him to open the eyes of others (26:18).

After three days, the Lord sent a member of the Body of Christ by the name of Ananias to come and lay hands on Saul (9:10-19). When Ananias laid hands on Saul and spoke to him, the Word tells us that "there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight" (v. 18). Then his inner eyes were opened and he could see something of the Lord, something spiritual. This was a great transfer, a great turning point. Thus, Saul of Tarsus became a factor to turn the age. He was transformed, transferred, and turned, so he could transfer the age, so he could turn the age.

We need to look at Saul and compare ourselves with him. This picture of Saul should show us that what we need is not religion with its forms, teachings, and knowledge, but the realization of the living Christ who is the center of God's eternal plan. Day by day you have Him within you, yet you need more and more vision and revelation concerning Him. You have to pursue Him. You have to know Him more and more and let Him have more ground within you. Do not pay your attention to religion, to the many activities in Christianity, or to your outward doings. These are things in religion, having nothing to do with God's plan. What you need is the inward knowledge of Christ, the inner experience of Christ. What you need is to open yourself, to offer yourself, to give yourself to the Lord and let Him have the ground to impart Himself into you day by day. Let Him work Himself into you and through you to fulfill God's eternal plan.

We all need to have some time with the Lord to pray: "By Your mercy, Lord, I now know the meaning of God's plan and what the center of this plan is. Here I am, Lord, fully open to You and ready to be taken by You, to be possessed by You. Grant me Your mercy that I may know how to live by You, how to walk in You, and how to go along with You that You might have the free way and the full ground to work Yourself into me and to work out through me." Then you will be one of the most blessed persons in this age, and you will be one who will turn the age. You will be a person who will transfer many others into God's eternal plan.