Acts 13:46
Then Paul and Barnabas boldly said: “It was necessary that God’s message be spoken to you first. But since you reject it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles!
Saul of Tarsus was a Christian-persecuting Jew.
He was aggressively committed to his religion to the extent of physically imprisoning and attending the executions of those who opposed his convictions.
That man met the Son of God while on the way to persecute more of those who followed The Way.
The man who hated Christians became one when he met the Christ.
Interestingly enough, however, he did not become a Jew-persecuting Christian.
He was not like a home run hitter who gladly gives his life to hitting homers for whomever will pay him to do it.
Persecuting people who opposed his convictions was not his thing.
At least it wasn’t anymore after he met Jesus.
He adamantly argued and persuaded his fellow Jewish neighbors and countrymen to follow the God of their fathers by the Son He had graciously provided for us.
And when push came to shove, he allowed himself to be shoved.
He didn’t push back.
He didn’t initiate a physical retaliation or stir up an army to persecute those who were persecuting him.
No, he loved his enemies and after being rejected and abused by them, he left them to their own fancies to preach the same God to the Gentiles.
Saul was a different person as a result of meeting Jesus.
He didn’t continue doing what he used to do for a new team.
He began playing an entirely different game.
Are you still playing games?
Are you claiming Team Jesus, yet still playing for Team Self?
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