The life of Saul: A testament to the things God can do in and with the life of a man.
Saul had facilitated the deaths and persecution of hundreds of believers to the point where people knew and feared him, yet God forgave him.
God not only forgave him but changed his life and turned it into a testimony. (Acts 9)
When Paul started preaching, the people were shocked. He had a history and they knew it well enough but someone who was the greatest prosecutor of the Christian faith at that time had also now began to preach the gospel. Paul’s life was a testament to the fact that there isn’t anyone God cannot change, there isn’t a life God cannot turn around. (Acts 22)
Something very worthy of note about Paul is that from the moment he was fit to preach, he began to proclaim the gospel of Christ. He didn’t let his past hold him back from doing God’s work. In fact, from what we read of Paul, we know that his past was a strong contributing factor to how fast he aligned himself with God’s will and doing his work, after his conversion. Saul Laboured as he did as though he was trying to make up for his past.
Many of us oftentimes see our past as a reason(s) why we’re not fit to do God’s work. Because we’ve done certain things, we worry that people won’t listen to us or take us seriously (Or we don’t take ourselves seriously). We either are not conscious or we forget the fact that we’ve now been made holy through Christ and are now forgiven and blameless before God (Glory to God, for salvation!).
I also think that our inability to forgive ourselves is a very strong factor that contributes to this too. The devil constantly brings to our remembrance the things we've done in our past. He uses it to guilt trip us and instead of seeing ourselves as we are in Christ, we focus on who we once were.
Within this context, there are two types of Christian believers:
1. Those who embrace God's gift of salvation fully and immediately begin to walk in it despite whomever they might have been before Christ.
2. Those who have embraced salvation, but are still struggling with fully accepting their new identities. They let the devil trouble them and assail their hearts with all sorts of thoughts.
Which of these are you? If you fall into the second category, let me show you from Gods word who you are.
Romans 8:1&2.
Paul tells you, that nothing and no one can condemn you, because you’re now in Christ Jesus. Because you now have his spirit within you. Hallelujah!
Romans 8:15-17.
You are God's child and his spirit in you(the Holy Spirit) bears witness with your spirit that you are his own, his heir.
Whenever you get these thoughts or feelings, pick up your Bible and read Romans 8 out loud to yourself, and say it till you believe it.
Declare with me;
I AM LOVED BY GOD!
He is my father.
He has called me his own.
I have God's spirit within me.
You are loved by God!
You mustn't allow the devil deceive you into seeing yourself as anything less than that.
