Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: but shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. Acts 26:12-20

The proof of the reality of Christ lies in the testimony of the believer’s encounter with Christ; such as was clearly manifest in our text of today. Please think about this. No matter how gradual, innocuous or benign, your claim to being born again must have a substance of real encounter. In our text the following is of necessity a mark for every truly born again child of God.

Verse 13 — this light from heaven shone brighter than the sun! Whenever this heavenly glory flows earthward to men, men fall or shall we say they irresistibly bow. Exactly as happened in the Transfiguration and at Gethsemane, and now on the road to Damascus, it is to persuade men. He is still persuading men to bow in submission and to His authority over their lives. In the fulness of the dispensation of times for the unrepentant it will be judgment while for those who have fully yielded to Him, the flow of this glory is a protective cover against all to protect –

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, They stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: Though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. Psalm 27:1-3

Apostle Peter testified of the same in 2 Peter 1:16-18

For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 2 Peter 1:16-18

John the beloved wrote also in 1 John 1:1-3 

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:1-3

These witnesses all knew and could point at their beginning in the new life in Christ. What about you? It’s not late yet, you can today by specifically and definitely asking to be reconciled with Him as Paul taught in 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, noting particularly vs.20-21 become a new creature – 

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

Will you? Selah.