IMO: You’ll Never Change - Monday
Acts 9:1
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. (NIV)
The apostle Paul may very well be, aside from Jesus, one of the most famous men of the New Testament. In all fairness, he did write about half of the entire New Testament. Paul is famous for his passion and his love for Jesus. So much so, that he made it his life goal to bring the gospel to as many places as he could.
Allow me to introduce you to another man named Paul, also known as Saul. Paul's life goal was to eliminate Christianity. He was one of the most violent and cruel persecutors the church has ever known. As we can read in our verse today, the purpose of his very breath was to achieve the charge of murdering Christians. Imagine some of the worst mass murderers or terrorists you can think of. Hitler, Bin Laden, Stalin, etc. Paul would fit right into that same category of people.
Now, what if I told you that this Paul was the same Paul as the Paul who wrote half of the New Testament? This may not come as a surprise to those of you who know your Bible, but it certainly would be to a disciple in the first century. On the same road Paul traveled down to persecute Christians, he had an encounter with the risen Christ. Coming face to face with Jesus literally turned a murderer into a gospel-preaching believer. Paul’s story is a testimony that Jesus changes everything. It doesn’t matter where someone has been, what they have done, or who they were—Jesus CAN and DOES change the hearts of sinners. Just as much as He did so in the first century, he does so today. Be reminded that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 NIV).
Monday’s Reflection
Take a minute to reflect on how Jesus has changed your life for the better, and thank him in prayer.
