"Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you."

And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said:

"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished. — Acts 22:1-5

In this chapter, Paul will communicate the gospel story, but he is going to do it in a way that attempts to connect with his Jewish audience. He transitions from speaking common Greek to speaking Hebrew, which seems to get the audience's attention. And he says he is going to make a "defense," but as we see, he is not going to defend himself, but Christ.

And I really like where Paul begins. He begins unashamedly with who he is, noting his town of origin, formal education, tenacity for Jewish ways, and enthusiasm for God. But then he creates this emotional connection with his audience about his own objection to Christian ways. He even declares how far he opposed believers and their teachings.

I think this part of Paul's message is important. And not just for the reason of strategically connecting with his audience. I think we can get distracted here by the components of the message and thus miss the heart behind this message. But don't get me wrong, Paul's introduction is an attempt to connect with his audience, but even more, it's a testimony to the maturity of his present identity in Christ.

You see, I know many men who have trouble embracing their identity in Christ because their past overinforms their present state. The narrative of their former beginnings, learnings, passions, and interests are so familiar to them that they cannot understand how God would view them differently. Thus they keep coming back to this old life and its practices because their new life in Christ is simply too good to be true.

But as we will soon discover, Paul is now able to live beyond this. He looks at his past differently, not as something to regret, be ashamed of, or ignore but something he can easily talk about. Paul understands that this is the road God had him on. And he walked this road right until that moment he was confronted on the road to Damascus.

But let's face it, there were a lot of years between the man we knew as Saul the Pharisee and the man we know today as Paul the Apostle. And I know there was a lot of unlearning that needed to happen for Paul to relearn who he was in Christ. And that's why I love this moment. Paul is signaling to us all that it is possible to live beyond our past without dismissing it, canceling it, or ignoring it. And that the God who gives us a new identity will also provide a way for us to understand this new identity so that we can live daily in the truth of it. In fact, I would assume that this moment in Jerusalem on the temple grounds during this season and Feast Day was a very special moment for Paul because one of the last times he was here, he was more prominently known as Saul the Pharisee but now was a different man — Paul, a redeemed son of the living God.

Gentlemen, to be given a new identity and then not to live in it is stupidity. This is like being given a new home and then going back to live in the old one. Don't do that. That's stupid. Instead, do this. Today when your are reminded of your old identity, and some of those old attitudes or actions start to ooze out, I want you to preach back to this old identity by saying to yourself — "I am a redeemed son of the living God." And practice this repeatedly until you can get to a point on your path where you can look back on that old identity without regret or shame, but as the path, God had you walk to become the man he wanted you to be today.

ASK THIS: Are you tired of living in the regret and shame of the past?

DO THIS: Say this to yourself throughout the day — "I am a redeemed son of the living God."

PRAY THIS: God, you gave me a new identity. Today I accept it.

PLAY THIS: Kutless — Identity.

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