Paul, in his statement before King Agrippa, says, “I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities” (Acts 26:9-11). Then, at a time in his life when he was viciously persecuting Christians and was headed for Damascus to see what more he could do to pursue them, Jesus appeared to him.
After giving Paul time to think about his sin of persecuting Him, Jesus sent Ananias, to lay hands on him so that he could be filled with the spirit, receive his sight, and be baptized. Paul had, however, so alienated himself from the Christian community which he now joined that while being amazed at the power of his testimony to Christ they were suspicious of his radical change of heart. The Christians at Damascus said, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” (Acts 9:21). When he fled from Damascus to Jerusalem because of a threat against his life from the Jewish sects whom he had deserted, and tried to associate with the Christians there he found “they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple” (Acts 9:26). Though the distrust on the part of fellow Christians waned, the apostle was repeatedly faced with opposition from the teachers of Judaism in the early years of his preaching.
Paul had a lot to overcome in his early days as a Christian. His background as a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Pharisee, and zealous law-keeper had created a heart which was bitterly opposed to Christ and Christianity. He must have been devastated to learn that he had built a life on the wrong foundation and that the house of his faith had crumbled into dust. His actions against Christians had erected a barrier between him and them that took a long time to break down. But Paul was able to pick up the pieces of a life which had been going in the wrong direction and focus it on service to the Lord. Listen to his triumphant statement: “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).
Take a look at the direction your life is pointed today. No matter how contrary that direction has been to the life Jesus calls you to live, you can turn around and start following Him today. It calls for a change of mind, a belief in the Savior, an obedience to His command to be baptized, and being raised from that baptism to walk a new kind of life. You, too, can find the “surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus” as your Lord. Why don’t you do it today!