BUT, Paul wasn't obeying when the Lord met him on the road to Damascus, was he? He was busy arresting all those who believed in Jesus. But, the LORD chose Paul for this very purpose.
In fact, Paul was the PATTERN to those who came after.....
Believe on HIM to everlasting life.
1 Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Believing IS obeying. The obedience of faith. Saved by grace through faith.
Romans 16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
How can anyone obey until they hear? I'm not talking about Paul obeying before he knew the truth, but rather obeying when he heard the truth. When Paul heard Jesus, his first words we're, "Lord, what would you have me to do". He obeyed straight away.
And faith is a gift, entering into our hearts and increasing by hearing the word of God which is given freely by God through those baring witness to the truth through Christ, and we are blessed to have a chance to hear God's word, and believing is a choice, we can believe the word of God when we hear it, or not. And obedience is doing what we are told to do when we believe. We are not told that we have to believe, but we are given a choice, we can believe the truth or not. To obey God, is to live right before him. And the obedience of faith means that we will obey God when we live by faith. Because to live by the will of God is to obey, and those who have true faith live by his will and obey him.
1 Peter 4
Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God:
and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator
And yes Paul was a pattern, he followed the pattern that Jesus set forth and lived by the way and by the same example because Christ was in him, and once Christ is made manifest within our hearts, then our hearts should be changing to be like his and we should be living more and more like him as we decrease, and he increases in our hearts by the power of the Spirit. Paul walked the walk and he partook in the sufferings of Christ, he was doer of the word and not a hearer only, and he obeyed God daily in his life, turning from the ways of the flesh and living by the will of God.
Romans 6:16
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin,
but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.