At the time of his conversion, Paul was inspired with a longing desire to help his fellow men to behold Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of the living God, mighty to transform and to save. Henceforth his life was wholly devoted to an effort to portray the love and power of the Crucified One. His great heart of sympathy took in all classes. "I am debtor," he declared, "both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise." Romans 1:14. Love for the Lord of glory, whom he had so relentlessly persecuted in the person of His saints, was the actuating principle of his conduct, his motive power. If ever his ardor in the path of duty flagged, one glance at the cross and the amazing love there revealed, was enough to cause him to gird up the loins of his mind and press forward in the path of self-denial.

Da Paulus blev omvendt, opfyldtes han af et brændende ønske om at hjælpe sine medmennesker til at betragte Jesus fra Nazaret som den levende Guds Søn, der er mægtig til at forvandle og frelse. Fra den tid var hans liv helt og fuldt viet til bestræbelsen for at skildre den korsfæstedes kærlighed og magt. I Paulus store, kærlige hjerte var der plads til alle slags mennesker. Han siger: "Både til grækere og barbarer, både til vise og uforstandige står jeg i gæld." Rom. 1,14. Fremdriften og drivkraften i hans handlemåde var kærlighed til ærens Konge, som han så ubarmhjertigt havde forfulgt i hans tjeneres skikkelse. Hvis hans iver for at følge pligtens vej nogensinde slappedes, var et blik på korset og den forunderlige kærlighed, som åbenbarede sig dér, nok til at få ham til at "binde op om sit sinds lænder" og haste fremad på selvfornægtelsens vej.