"Faithful to Death" September 14 Readings: Acts 6:8-8:3

Today's Reading - Acts 6:8-8:3

Background

The brewing trouble between the disciples and the religious leaders spilled out into open war when one of the seven, Stephen, confronted Israel's leaders about their sin. In chapter 4 they were commanded not to preach, in chapter 5 the Apostles were beaten. But here the persecution went to the ultimate extreme and Stephen lost his life.

Ominously, the last view verses introduce us to a character who will become both the greatest enemy of the church and its greatest missionary - Saul of Tarsus. He gave approval to Stephen's death, then later gave his own life for Christ.

Devotional - Faithful to Death

Their anger against Stephen exploded. They plugged their ears (like children) so that they could not hear his words anymore and gnashed their teeth in wrath. Screaming at him, they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. Stephen became the first Christian martyr that day.  

Why? The answer is simple. The religious leaders did not like the sermon he preached. Throughout Acts 7 he reminded them of the faithfulness of God in Israel's history. That was the good part. But he also reminded them of the incessant sin, rebellion, and idolatry of Israel and they didn't like that too much. Verses 51-53 record the offending words that sent the leaders into a vengeful lather. 

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

How could anyone get offended by that, right? It's not hard to see that the religious leaders might find those words harsh and react to them with pique. Being called stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts is likely to offend. 

But the words were true. Stephen spoke the truth, even though it was not popular. Israel had been and still was walking contrary to God's revelation. They had created their own system of religion based on human ideas instead of God's revelation. They claimed to follow God's Law but it was actually one of their own creation and their hearts were not right with God. Stephen was in the process of speaking truth and would have no doubt gotten to the story of Jesus and the gospel of salvation through him. He did not make it that far. 

Stephen did what many modern preachers will not do, he forcefully confronted the sin of his hearers and he called them to repent. That is why he died. 

We, perhaps, do not have to be as direct or as confrontational as Stephen was that day every time we share Christ. But we can learn from this story that there is a choice that each of us has to make as we go out into this world. Either we will be faithful to the Word and to the truth, thereby incurring the wrath of the sinful world, or we will compromise the truth and proclaim truths that massage egos, tickle ears and evoke positive emotions but do not accurately reflect the Word of God. You cannot both be faithful to God's truth and preach a popular message to a sinful world. It's one or the other. 

In this election year, as we think about the spiritual condition of the USA, let us remember that compromise and the search for popularity and acceptance by the world will never win the day. That spiritual compromise that we see so much of today, which seeks to gain the favor of man and other the world more than the pleasure of God, will never actually change anything. Only as we put ourselves under God's authority and faithfully call our family, friends, and neighbors to repent and to submit fully to God's Word in all things. 

Father, help me to be faithful to you and your Word, regardless of the cost or consequences. 

Think and Pray

Are you willing to stand for righteousness and truth regardless of its popularity or how people respond?

Or do you hide the truth to avoid offending or having people think you are a pest?