But It Is Hardly Credible That One Could So Persecute Jesus!
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? — Acts 26:14
Why or how was Saul persecuting Jesus, exactly?
He was killing His disciples, that his certain.
Yet Paul's greatest offense was believing that He could attain to the righteousness demanded by God through His obedience:
"For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
"Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
"Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
"Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." (Philippians 3: 3-6)
By anyone's standards in the Ancient World, Paul had an impressive resume. He was a Jew among Jews, a Pharisee among Pharisees. The magnitude of his zeal propelled him to persecute the brethren of the Body of Christ. Yet following his conversion experience on the road to Damascus, Paul shared thus:
"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
"And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" (Philippians 3: 7-9)
Whatever righteousness Paul was seeking, he knew that he could never acquire it. He cast off everything, trusting in the righteousness accorded to all who believe in the Finished Work of Jesus Christ.
The greatest persecution, the grief that afflicts the Holy Spirit, is trusting to our own efforts, attempting to earn from God what He has given. Many charitable works are accomplished from this spirit of merit or presumption, in which many believers are trying to earn something from God or attempting to demonstrated their righteousness. Our works are borne from our righteousness in Christ, not the other way around. Let no man spoil this blessed truth for us!