Don’t let your past define you!

Don’t let your past defined you …

“And taking food, he was strengthened for some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.”

The scene was tense immediately after Ananias had removed his hands from Saul. The text tells us that something like scales fell from his eyes, which represented to those present and symbolized for us now the spiritual blindness, which had controlled his vision up to this point. But now Christ Jesus had brought him out of darkness into His marvelous light. Saul was enlightened and empowered by the knowledge of the truth that had just pierced his soul. Now Saul understood and was not ashamed of the gospel, for he saw it as the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Now Saul knew that the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written. “The righteous shall live by faith.” What a turnaround and what an about face; concerning his former stance as persecutor of the church. This is what the Bible terms as repentance!

So pastor, what is repentance?

Many understand the term repentance to mean “a turning from sin.” Regretting sin and turning from it is related to repentance, but it is not the precise meaning of the word. In the Bible, the word “repent” means “to change one’s mind.” The Bible also tells us that true repentance will also result in a change of actions

In summarizing his ministry, Saul now Paul declares,

, “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.”

The full biblical definition of repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action.

What, then, is the connection between repentance and salvation? The book of Acts especially focuses on repentance throughout the book, look at , “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

To repent, in relation to salvation, is to change your mind and your actions regarding sin and Jesus Christ.

In Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2), he concludes with a call for the people to repent. Repent from what? Peter is calling the people who rejected Jesus to change their minds about their sin and to change their minds about Christ Himself, recognizing that He is indeed “Lord and Christ”.

Peter is calling the people to change their minds, to abhor their past rejection of Christ, and to embrace faith in Him as both Messiah and Savior. “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Repentance involves recognizing that you have thought wrongly in the past and determining to think rightly in the future.

The repentant person has “second thoughts” about the mindset they formally embraced. There is a change of disposition and a change in their thinking about God, about sin, about holiness, and about doing God’s will. True repentance is prompted by “godly sorrow,” and it “leads to salvation”

, “ For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.” Repentance and faith can be understood as two sides of the same coin. It is impossible to place your faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior without first changing your mind about your sin and about whom Jesus is and what He has done.

Whether it is repentance from willful rejection or repentance from ignorance or disinterest, it is a change of mind.

Biblical repentance, in relation to salvation, is changing your mind from rejection of Christ to faith in Christ. Repentance is not a work we do to earn salvation. No one can repent and come to God unless God draws that person to Himself , “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

Repentance is something God gives—it is only possible because of His grace. No one can repent unless God grants repentance. All of salvation, including repentance and faith, is a result of God drawing us, changing our hearts and opening our eyes.

God’s longsuffering leads us to repentance, as does His kindness. While repentance is not a work that earns salvation, repentance unto salvation does result in works. It is impossible to truly change your mind without that causing a change in action. In the Bible, repentance results in a change in behavior.

Saul had seen his sin during his face-to-face encounter with Christ Jesus; he was convicted of his previous behavior and now he shows repentance as forgetting what lies behind him and straining forward to what lies ahead. He is pressing forward to the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Saul understands that he was dead and now he is alive, he was blind but now he can see.

Let us pray…

The passage before us today, deals with the changed actions of Saul and the reactions to the fact that Saul has changed.

Newton’s third law of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. We see that principle in full force when it become evident that something has happen to Saul the persecutor of the church. Because Saul has now been saved from the wrath of God to come and has faith in Christ Jesus, this action invokes an equal and opposite reaction for others in Damascus. When others still want still want to defined you by your past… it cause confusion and when others still want to defined you by your past it causes compulsion. These are to two points that we want to deal with in the passage today.

Don’t let your past define you… it causes confusion!

, “For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus is the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

After Saul took food and drink and was strengthened; he spent some time with the disciples at Damascus, probably sharing his testimony with then as well as his newly found faith. Because of the fact that Saul had seen the risen Christ, heard the voice of the risen Christ and then been healed by the risen Christ through his servant Ananias; he immediately sprung into action.

The text tells us that he did not waste anything time, but he immediately went into the synagogue. Now, lets us think for just a moment here, the synagogue was his original destination when he acquired the papers to arrest Christians, men and women and to bring them back in chains to Jerusalem.

But look at what the text now says concerning his purpose in the synagogue. Instead of arresting those who were there to worship Christ, he is amazing those there because he now is proclaiming himself, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

21, “And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?”

These people were amazed because they are defining Saul by his past lifestyle and his past behavior and because of that are confused. What is confusion? Confusion is having a lack of clearness or distinctness, it is being perplexed or bewildered.

It’s being disorientated. This is where the people find themselves bewildered and unclear about Saul’s behavior; they have questions. (1) Has Saul been saved or is he here to slay us? (2) Does he not have papers and was it not his purpose to come and bring us all back to Jerusalem? (3) Why is he now proclaiming that Christ Jesus is the Son of God?

What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of God?" Answer: Jesus is not God’s Son in the sense of a human father and a son. God did not get married and have a son. God did not mate with Mary and, together with her, produce a son. Jesus is God’s Son in the sense that He is God made manifest in human form. , “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.”

Jesus is God's Son in that the Holy Spirit conceived him in Mary. declares, “The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’”

During His trial before the Jewish leaders, the High Priest demanded of Jesus, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God” (). “‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied. ‘But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven’” (). The Jewish leaders responded by accusing Jesus of blasphemy. Later, before Pontius Pilate, “The Jews insisted, ‘We have a law, and according to that law He must die, because He claimed to be the Son of God’” ().

Why would His claiming to be the Son of God be considered blasphemy and be worthy of a death sentence?

The Jewish leaders understood exactly what Jesus meant by the phrase “Son of God.” To be the Son of God is to be of the same nature as God. To be the Son of God is “ to be of God.” The claim to be of the same nature as God—to in fact be God—was blasphemy to the Jewish leaders; therefore, they demanded Jesus’ death, in keeping with , “Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.”

, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

Another example can be found in where Judas is described as the “son of perdition.” What does mean by describing Judas as the “son of perdition”?

The word perdition means “destruction, ruin, waste.” Judas was not the literal son of “ruin, destruction, and waste,” but those things were the identity of Judas' life. Judas was a manifestation of perdition. In this same way, Jesus is the Son of God. The Son of God is God. Jesus is God made manifest.

Now because Saul’s eyes have been opened he understood the truth about Christ. But I want you to notice something here, even though their was plenty of doubt concerning Saul, Saul had no doubt in his mind at all in whom he was now serving. The text tells us that 22, “ But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. , “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecution, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying if trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”

This passage was written after Saul’s conversion and later on, as he was then known as Paul after .

Always remember when God saves a person they become a new creation, the old has passed away and the new has come. It also always comes with a new name whether it is an individual name change like Simon to Peter or Saul to Paul or a corporate name change like “children of God, or the beloved.

Paul starts this passage off in in 1Tim. by giving thanks to Christ for giving him the strength, judging him as faithful, and appointing him to the ministry. Paul is making sure we understand than he did not make himself a minister, nor did anyone choose him to be a minister. He did not even choose the ministry but Christ Jesus chose him. There are four points found in this passage that must be found in every minister experience with the Holy One of Israel, Christ Jesus.

(1) Christ Jesus gave him strength! This word means to enable and to become the source of the power in his ministry. Paul’s strength and power to minister did not come from stirring up power within himself: not from talking about the results of his ministry; not from trying to program and set the purposes of his ministry; and not uplifting himself with his preaching. No one has the strength or power to conduct ministry on their own. No one has the strength or power to withstand the spiritual warfare, no one has the strength or power to penetrate the spirits of people, none of this is possible unless Christ has called you and is with you. A person in the ministry can not choose themselves, not a minister that pleases Christ Jesus, Christ is the one whom chooses. And God never chooses or calls the person that the world or we think he should choose.

“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”

(2) Judged me faithful- Christ Jesus counted Paul as faithful, what a wonderful thought and compliment. Christ knows that despite the trials and tribulations that he would face, despite how he would have to suffer for him, and despite even his imprisonment, that Paul in the final analysis would prove faithful. He was faithful because Christ was faithful in forgiving him, loving, him, and placing trust in him. No matter how far down a minister falls, he should always remember that Christ has found him faithful and that he can arise again. Therefore, any minister whom has fallen should arise and quickly seek the forgiveness of Christ and begin to walk a new in the strength and the power of Christ. The pledge is also for any child in the family of God. Nothing can ever separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus once asked Peter an important question.

, “A certain money lender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more? Simon answered, “ The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, You have judged rightly” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven— for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little. And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “ Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

This promise is available to you has well if you place your trust in Christ Jesus for His forgiveness.

(3) Christ Jesus appointed Paul to the minister.

, “You did not choose me, but I choose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

(4) Christ Jesus forgave Paul terrible sins of which he was guilty.

Paul lays a small yet broad list of the sins, which Christ had now, make him innocent of all though he was surely guilty.

He was a blasphemer, he had insulted, reviled, cursed, and raised against the name of Christ. He was a persecutor, he had attacked and brought Christians in chains to stand trial and had vote yes for the death penalty in their cases. He was insolent, he treated others despite fully, he was often brutal and violent and enjoyed it. His fiery rage and desire to inflict pain upon those who followed Christ was legendary. But despite all this evil, God had mercy upon Paul and saved him. But despite of all of our evil acts God will have mercy upon us if we come to His Son, Christ Jesus in faith.

, “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” , “ The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is you faithfulness “

Look at vv. 15-16, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”

Jesus came to save sinners, this is the plan, this is His purpose, Christ is the one whom is the propitiation for our sins.

To propitiate means appease, to conciliate, to stand before a superior and take the penalty in the place of someone else.

This is what Christ does through his substitutionary atonement on the Cross.

, “ Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, untainted, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.”

Paul then states “ but I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”

Christ can and will save anyone who confesses that they are a sinner and that they need a Savior. Paul is saying here if Christ Jesus forgave me, then Christ Jesus will forgive you! If we are ever in doubt concerning the length, the height, width, and the depth of Christ’ love all we have to do is look at what Christ Jesus did for Saul, Christ did not define him by his past but redefined him by his future. And Christ will do the same for you for Christ is not respecter of persons.

22, “But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.”

My brothers and sisters, Saul did not allow others to define him by his past behavior; he turned their criticisms and contempt into creative and constructive energy.

And as the text reports, he increased all the more and continued to confound the Jews; they could not understand what had happen to Saul.

Many of us who have found Christ and been radical change through the message and the power of the Gospel, face steep opposition from those who knew us from the past.

Because they are still are dwelling in darkness and still in a state of spiritual blindness. They are still dominated by the prince of this world and unable and unwilling to change. They confusion is as much about their refusal to change as it is our about our recent submission to change.

And in many ways they will resent and refuse to recognize the positive changes in your life. The new light in your life emphasizes the darkness that still lingers in their life. Your enlightenment is their exposure. It exposes their conduct and their character, which compares their current life to your corrupt past life. Comparison without proper correction will bring confusion. Don’t let your past defined you… it will always cause confusion.

Don’t let your past define you… it causes compulsion!

What is compulsion? It is the act of compelling or coercion, it is the state of being compelled and it is a strong and irresistible impulse to perform an act. Especially one that is irrational or contrary to one’s will.

The text tells us that Saul kept growing strength and understanding of the Gospel and that it bewildered the Jews.

23, “When many days has passed the Jews plotted to kill him.”

Now again Newton’s third law of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. We see that principle in full force when it become evident that something has happen to Saul the persecutor of the church, so we see the reaction of the Jews.

The phrase “the Jews” does not mean all Jews, of course, since many Jews had believed in Jesus and Paul himself was a Jew. But from this point forward in Acts, Luke often uses the phrase “the Jews” as a shorthand expression to refer to Jewish people who opposed the gospel. Often it is the leaders of the communities who are involved in this rejection. They plotted to kill Saul, they saw him now as a traitor and many in the new church still saw him as a terror. Don’t let your past define you! Here we see the enemies of the gospel cannot defeat it by free and open debate, so they are often compelled to resort to force, falsehood, murder, and governmental suppression. Especially those, which are irrational or contrary to one’s, will.

But, here we also see that the gospel is from God and cannot be stopped even when the government is involved. Yes, King Aretas gave his approval as well. , “At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me.”

24, “But their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him.”

How did Saul know about this plot? Well, it was reveal to his nephew, , “Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.” Once again the Jews reaction shows an irrational thought process driven by the new found hatred of Saul since he has found Christ. Jesus said,

, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

Listen, if you are completely sold out to Christ and the work of His church, expect haters. Expect them to tried to convict you because of your past behavior, expect them to doubt your conversion, expect them to slander you, slay your reputation, and try to sully your witnesses! Don’t let your past defined you or people from your past defined you. Everyone one has a past but not everyone has a Savior, but you do! And because of your Savior there is therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. What then shall we say to these things? What things, whatever the haters are bring up against you. If God is for you, who can be against you? God who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all how will he not also with him graciously give you all things? God always makes a way out of no way and directs your escape.

23, “But his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.”

, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. (ESV)