Acts 9:4-5 – “…he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ 5 And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting…’”
Never in a million years would Saul have believed that he was harming God apart from God’s intervention in his life. Saul was zealous to do God’s work and yet without realizing it, he was hindering it.
Every Christian needs to be sobered by this story. Jesus says that Saul was persecuting him personally. How is that possible? Saul was persecuting people whom the Spirit of Christ dwelt in and Jesus took it personally. Jesus speaks this same principle to His disciples in Matthew 25. He says that as we look out for other Christians’ needs, we’re looking out for Him. As we abandon other Christians’ needs, we’re neglecting Him.
Do you associate your thoughts, words, and actions towards other Christians as toward Christ Himself? As I consider this question, I feel grieved in my spirit by how often I have been privy or part of Christians talking about other Christians negatively, instead of to other Christians. I feel grieved by how off kilter it seems the universal church in general has become at understanding the call of Christ. I’m not sure I know of too many churches in America where the pastor doesn’t feel 20% of the people are doing the heavy lifting while the majority seem fickle and inconsistent.
The bride of Christ needs you to build her up for good and stop tearing her down where she still needs to grow. The bride of Christ needs you to help her with her blemishes and consistently come beside her to grow into the fullness of what she could be. Her bridegroom is at the door of your heart knocking, ‘will you help my bride?’