Let your past work for you

“Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? In fact, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I was in agreement against them. In all the synagogues, I often punished them and tried to make them blaspheme. Since I was terribly enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities”.
Acts 26:8‭-‬11 CSB

Paul was presenting his defense following yet another accusation by the Jews. In this instance, it was about him being a plague,  an agitator among all the Jews throughout the Roman world and a ringleader o the sect of the Nazarenes and desecrate the temple (Acts 24:5-6). As a Roman citizen, Paul had asked for an appeal to Caesar which is where we pick up the story…

Festus had asked for King Aggripa to examine the case against Paul as he could not find anything as he could not just send someone to Caesar without stating the charge against him (Acts 25:26-27); and in his explanation, he talked about his own journey to faith in Jesus.

There is definitely something that can be said of someone who can stand boldly professing his faith despite being THE VERY PERSON who used to persecute others of doing the same. It was only the miracle of God and the boldness in Christ that gives someone that level of courage.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
2 Corinthians 5:17 CSB

Evidently Paul was a very learned person who was comfortable speaking in spaces which others might have steered away from. He spoke to Kings, Greek scholars Governor and even the Roman Emperor. Festus even attested to his intelligence and mocked him that it was too much studying that was driving him mad to believe in Jesus (Acts 26:24).

Paul accepted who he was, and God used his past to show his miraculous ways and demonstrates the transformation one undergoes when they truly have an encounter with Jesus.

Your past doesn’t define you, and neither does what others think of you. You should only be concerned in doing what pleases God and becoming all that God has called you to be.

God loves you & so do I!❤️