SATURDAY February 10, 2024
Living Contrary to Christ
“Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.”
Acts 26:9-11
Paul spoke before King Agrippa to give his personal testimony. He started by letting him know how he used to be before he became a Christian. At that time, he was known to the Jews as Saul. He was a completely different person. He used to have the same mindset as the Jews––having a heart of hatred and hostility against Christians.
As Saul, he consented to the death of anyone who followed Jesus. He considered himself to be a murderer of Christians, as he consented to their deaths. He was an enthusiastic persecutor of the Church, and he tortured Christians. Later, after Paul established his old life before Christ, he would then continue to tell the King of his conversion and his new life in Christ.
Keep in mind, the central theme of Paul’s preaching was always the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. He always liked to give people hope. This was Paul’s new life––a preacher of the Gospel of hope. To understand Paul’s new mindset, consider what he wrote to the Church in Rome:
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. ... Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:4; 13).
What about your old life? Did you live a life contrary to Christ? Perhaps you were an alcoholic, a drug addict, an abuser, or a stubborn atheist––a hopeless sinner––but now you have hope in Christ.
If I am to wholly follow the Lord Jesus Christ, I must forsake everything that is contrary to Him.
~Aiden Wilson Tozer~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
