He's Dead Now: The Man Who Hated Christians

He’s dead now: the man who hated Christians. He’s dead now: the man who sought to destroy the church and all for which it stands. He’s dead now: the man who threatened innocent men and women throughout the world. He’s dead now: the man whose followers obeyed his every command, murdering those whom they were directed to kill. He’s dead now: the man who didn’t care if he killed men or women. He’s dead now: the man who watched while thousands of men, women and children were brutally killed. He’s dead now: the leader who let everyone else perform his dirty work. He’s dead now: the man that many attempted to kill but he always eluded them. Yes, he’s dead now.

Oh, you’ll see him again: on the day we all stand before God to face our fate for eternity. And on that day I have no doubt that God will look at this man, the murderer, the Christian killer, the man who the world feared and say, “Come in my good and faithful servant”. And with wonderment we’ll step aside and watch as Saul of Tarsus, better known as Paul moves forward to stand side by side with those he at one time stood by and watched being murdered.

I did not hate Osama Bin Laden. I hated what he stood for and what he did. I believe he deserved to be punished for the atrocities and crimes he committed. I’m glad he’s not around to continue his leadership of an extremist group bent on destroying innocent people. He was an evil man with evil motives. The world is better off without his influence.

But you know what. Angels would have been rejoicing in heaven if he had turned as Paul did and changed his life. Can you imagine the impact on the world if the one who was the persecutor of Christianity had become the protector of Christianity?

It’s happened before. A man named Jake Deshazer was a prisoner of war in Japan and hated the Japanese, until one day he read the Word of God and decided that after the war he’d go back to Japan and teach them about Christ. It happened before. A man named Mitsuo Fuchida, an atheist who hated America. He led the attack on Pearl Harbor that killed thousands of Americans. Then one day he picked up a brochure written by Jake Deshazer that introduced him to the love of Christ. He was converted and became a spokesman for the cause of Christ until the day of his death. It happened before when a man named Stephen while being stoned to death by his enemies fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." It happened before when a man nailed to a wooden cross looked down on a crowd that hated him and said “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” It’s happened many times before. God enters a man’s heart and changes him dramatically.

There are numerous things that we as Christians are taught to do. One of the hardest is found in the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:

5:44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons 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. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

I can think of nothing harder than to love those that hate me. Not only am I asked to love them but I’m also asked to pray for them. So I will. I’ll pray that they come “to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…” As I pray I’ll remember the words of Peter when he said, “that God is not willing for any to perish”. Praying for them does not mean you accept what they stand for and what they do. It simply means you care for their soul just like the Savior cared for yours.

Two men are dead now: Two men who murdered men and women because they were Christians. Two men are dead now: Two men who hated and were hated. Two men are dead now: but, one remains dead while one lives on because of a changed life when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus.

In his words what changed him from being a persecutor to a protector are simply:

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”