3:247 – Are You Persecuting Christ?

#faithbites #faithjourney persecuting

Setting

I often see people saying how Christians are being persecuted in the US and around the world. This comes in the form of laws, politics, opinions, and in some parts of the world, true oppression and killing.

I also see people who say they are Christian not acting in the love and forgiving manner that Christ does. I often wonder if we are Persecuting Christ in our failure to follow his commands. For instance, it can give people who don’t follow Christ a bad impression of who Christ is.

Are we doing our best to represent Christ as he is or using him to persecute others?

Scripture

Acts 9:4-5 – He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked, And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!

Reflection

In our passage, we see Saul touched directly by Christ. He is a person who as persecuted and kille many for following Christ. During this moment on the road to Damascus, Saul accept this role and becomes a follower of Christ. He laws down his old life and because the Apostle Paul.

He is forgiven for his sins against Jesus and begins to spread the true word of God across the region.

Are we acting like Saul or Paul? Are we using God’s gift of Christ to empower, support, and love people or are we trying to hammer the law down without redemption?

This isn’t an easy topic to handle as we all want to be right and want to believe that we are worshiping and sharing God as he would want.

I will leave you today with this thought: What would Jesus do? What would Paul do? Do you want to be a Paul or a Saul?

Challenge

Are you showing God’s love or persecuting Christ through your actions? Find a way to open up the word of God and a place in our Fathers house to everyone.

Prayer

Father God, you send you Some to be persecuted for our sins. He died for us. Let us be a force of love and a true representation of Christ’s love,forgiveness, and acceptance.hp is turn away from weaponizing Christianity. Help our worship and evangelism be meaningful and pleasant in your site. Amen.