My Skeletons In the Closet - October 13

Read Galatians 1:13-16

For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles…

Reflect

How does Paul’s story challenge the idea that someone’s past disqualifies them from preaching the Gospel?

One of the world’s favorite ways to discredit someone is to dig up some dirt from their past and splash it around the media. We see this all the time online—if you disagree with someone, rather than engage intellectually with their message or truth claim, just unearth the skeletons in their closet to cast doubt on their credibility. But in the apostle Paul’s case, the dark story of his past is actually convincing evidence of the truth of Christianity and Paul’s God-given authority to preach the Gospel.

In today’s passage, Paul spoke openly of the skeletons in his closet. Paul’s past wasn’t much of a secret. He acknowledged that the Galatians had already heard of his former life in Judaism. Acts 9 gives the details of how Paul ruthlessly persecuted the early church. He was so passionate and committed to the traditions of his forefathers that he probably thought he was on God’s side, protecting Judaism from some new and radical cult. He didn’t believe Christianity was from the Lord.

Paul had pretty much been a rock star Jew, maybe even a prodigy. He was climbing the ranks faster than anyone else his age. In Philippians 3:4-6, he gave us a copy of his Jewish resume: “...If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.”

Those are some pretty impressive credentials! If salvation were based on works, surely Paul would've passed the test for eternal life with flying colors! If salvation was something he could accomplish on his own, surely he would’ve simply stayed the course. But he didn’t. He did a 180. He went from being on the road to persecute Christians to becoming a Christian. Why?

Paul said the Lord was pleased to reveal Himself to him and He did so in a miraculous way! Even before Paul was born, God had ordained that Paul would be the one to take His Good News to the Gentiles. Once Paul met the Risen Christ, he gave up everything that was so important to him before.

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Philippians 3:7-9).

Some people would maybe be tempted to think that Paul’s past discredits him as an apostle. Why should we listen to a past persecutor of the church? Why would we trust a murderer? But Paul’s past actually convinces me of two things. One, that Paul’s conversion testimony is true. Two, that Christ’s resurrection is true. From an earthly perspective, Paul had nothing to gain and everything to lose by converting to Christianity. And yet, he didn’t just begin to believe that Jesus was the risen Savior, he was willing to suffer and eventually die for preaching the Gospel. No one would do that if they were lying.

Do you have skeletons in your closet? Friend, we all do! That’s why we need the grace of Jesus! And if we are in Him, we are made new and our changed lives can be amazing testimonies of the truth of the Gospel.

Respond

Lord, thank You for forgiving the sins of my past, present, and future. I know that without Your grace, I would be eternally lost. Help me to live like the changed man (or woman) that I am every single day as a testimony of the Gospel Truth. Amen.

ReplyEveryone has parts of their story they’d rather keep hidden, but sometimes sharing even a small piece of that can open the door for connection. Think about someone in your life who assumes that faith is only for people who “have it all together.” This week, when the opportunity arises, share—briefly and honestly—one way you’ve messed up in the past and how you’ve experienced growth or a fresh start since then. You don’t need to package it neatly or preach a lesson; simply let them see that you’re not defined by your failures, and that change is possible. That kind of honesty can be a lifeline for someone who feels stuck in their own mistakes.