Over the past few weeks and months, ISIS has been all over
the news. It seems as though every couple days, the group attacks somewhere
else, leaving everyone in fear. Scrolling through Facebook, every other post is
a status or article on ISIS and the latest headline. Fear, anger, and opinions
are ubiquitous.
When people are being slaughtered, it’s easy and even
natural to treat the perpetrators with disgust and hate. However, this is not
how God treats the people in ISIS. He offers grace, forgiveness and love to
them if they will accept it.
One of my favorite people in the Bible is Paul. He wrote
thirteen books in the New Testament, traveled and preached extensively, and
planted churches everywhere he went. God used Paul in massive ways to further
His kingdom.
Although Paul did all of these things to further the gospel,
this is not why he is my favorite. It is because his story shows that no one is
too far gone for Christ to save them.
Before Paul became a Christian, he was a religious
terrorist. He was obsessed with killing Christians. In fact, his name wasn’t
even Paul; it was Saul. He was raised by Pharisee parents. Pharisees were the
extremely religious people who thought they were saved by their good works.
They did not show grace or love to anyone. In fact, Pharisees were the very
people that killed Jesus.
As Saul grew up, he became zealous in religious extremism.
He participated in arresting and killing Christians. During a time of extreme
persecution of the church, Acts 8:3 says, “But Saul was ravaging the church,
and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them
to prison.”
However, Jesus was near. He had a plan for Saul. In the next
chapter of Acts, we see Saul encountering Jesus. Check it out:
“Meanwhile, Saul was
still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to
the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so
that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he
might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his
journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground
and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
“Who are you, Lord?”
Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you
are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be
told what you must do.”
The men traveling with
Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul
got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So
they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did
not eat or drink anything.
In Damascus there was
a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he
answered.
The Lord told him, “Go
to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named
Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and
place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
“Lord,” Ananias
answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has
done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from
the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
But the Lord said to
Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the
Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much
he must suffer for my name.”
Then Ananias went to
the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul,
the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has
sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see
again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his
strength. (Acts 9:1-18)
Isn’t this an incredible story of redemption? Paul was
literally on his way to kill more Christians, and Jesus met him where he was.
The Lord told Ananias that Paul was his chosen instrument to
share the Gospel with the gentiles. This shows us that God can use ANYONE. Those
who you think will never become a Christian. Those who hate Christians. Jesus
can change anyone.
One of my all-time favorite passages of
Scripture is Galatians 1:23-24. Paul wrote, “They only heard the report: ‘The
man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to
destroy.’ And they praised God because of me.”
This passage gives me chills. Jesus
used a man who used to kill Christians to bring praise and glory to His name.
So what does Paul have to do with ISIS?
Paul originally thought that his
killing of Christians was an act of service to God. He had devoted his life to
their demise. ISIS is doing the same thing. While they are killing more than
just Christians, they are religious terrorists who think their killing is a
service to God.
So my prayer is this; That God would
open the hearts of the people in ISIS, like He did with Paul. Can you imagine
it? If former ISIS members could say of themselves the same thing that Paul
said in Galatians 1. “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the
faith he once tried to destroy.”
God is powerful enough to change the
hearts of these people. Forgiveness is freely given to anyone who repents and
turns to Jesus. The Gospel is for people who have grown up going to church
their whole lives, and also for those who have killed Christians.
Romans 3:23-24 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God, and all are justified freely
by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
I beg that you pray this with me; that
the people of ISIS would meet Jesus Christ and experience His grace and
forgiveness and are forever changed.
One of my favorite authors and
speakers, Jeff Bethke, wrote, “Enemy love changes the world. Enemy love breaks
and transforms hearts. Enemy love makes people look to Jesus. And enemy love is
nonnegotiable in the kingdom.”
“You have heard that it was
said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love
your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be
children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil
and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you
love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax
collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you
doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your
heavenly Father is perfect.”
Matthew 5:43-48
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