Walking in Holiness is possible even if you were formally an enemy of Christ and His true church!
Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit what Stephen endured by the hands of the political powers in Acts chapter 7:
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;
58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Saul was complicit in the stoning of Stephen, the first martyr of the New Testament. Tradition tells us that Saul was born the same year that Jesus was born. He was born in Asia Minor and studied under Gamaliel (Acts 5) who was the leading theologian of the day. Saul of Tarsus studied for seven years and became an expert in the Old Testament as well as the Rabbinic interpretations of the Old Testament.
In chapter 8:
1 Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.
One would think that such an enemy of Christ would be destined for hellfire. What was the result of Saul’s persecution of the early church? The Gospel was spread about:
4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the Word.
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.
6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
The plan of the adversary backfired. Instead of snuffing out the church through persecution, the Word spread, and the church grew throughout the regions.
Saul was fully committed to eliminating the early church.
Luke continued in Chapter 9:
1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from Heaven.
4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a Voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
What happened when Saul confronted Holiness? He fell to the ground and was overtaken with fear and trembling.
6] So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.
8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
When being confronted with one walking in Holiness, even the staunchest enemy can be converted to Christ. We must keep this in mind as we pursue Holiness. The best way to deal with an enemy is to convert him or her to Christ.