“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" Having said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:54-60, NAS95).
Two reactions: one born out of love, the other out of hatred. The Gospel will often be met with anger. These Pharisees hated the fact that Stephen had proclaimed the truth and condemned their hypocrisy.
“You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it" (Acts 7:51-53, NAS95).
This proclamation resulted in his stoning. However, Stephen displayed the same love that Christ displayed on the cross. "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34b).
Let us prepare our hearts with the same attitude, as it is inevitable that as we take the Gospel to the lost, some will revile us. Let us remember, they do not know what they are doing. Their hearts are bound in sin, and when exposed to the light, they will often act out with anger.
If we do not have this attitude, we will soon stop sharing the truth, as no one wants to be reviled. However, “If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you” (1Pe 4:14, NAS95).
Pray that the Father will give you boldness to proclaim the truth to those around you. They are blind and in need of a Savior. Stephen is in the presence of our Heavenly Father. What can man do to you?
“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:35-39, NAS95)
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