DEVOTION
THE
BOOK OF ACTS
CENTERED
UPON
Acts
7:51-56
51
"You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just
like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a
prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted
the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53
you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have
not obeyed it." 54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed
their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to
heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
56 "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man
standing at the right hand of God."
NIV
Stephen
finally gets to his charge against those of the Sanhedrin, calling them
stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears. We have heard this
teaching before, well actually later from the Apostle Paul, who by the way was
there, when his name was Saul, at the stoning of Stephen. The teaching of
having value of circumcision of the heart rather than of the flesh. It is
obvious the since Stephen was before the time of Paul’s teaching, that this is
from the influence of the Holy Spirit. Those of the Sanhedrin were so wrapped
up in the letter of the law, they could not experience the spirit of the law,
for they only considered circumcision of the flesh, but their hearts were cold,
unyielding to the grace of God. To be told that you always resist the Holy Spirit
was more than they could stand, and their response was one of humankind rather than
one of Godly men. They became furious and gnashed their teeth at him, and at
this we see what Stephen’s response was to their behavior. Certainly we can see
the difference between being religious and being Spirit filled. Religious is
something which is part of a person’s life, Spirit filled is a person’s life.
Religious is strictly an outward presentation while Spirit filled is an inward experience,
which becomes evident in outward behavior. Certainly Stephen was not a perfect
man, as were those of the Sanhedrin, for all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God. We cannot afford to lift
him upon a pedestal, although he was a man full of faith, and of the Spirit,
full of the grace of God, full of the power of God and full of wisdom. Yet
there is a distinct difference between Stephen and those of the Sanhedrin. They
were unwilling to hear from God, while Stephen was not only willing to hear
from God but to act on that which he heard. This has to be our life lesson. We
have to admit our imperfection as humans but at the same time we cannot afford
to close our hearts to God. He does not expect perfection, that is only
possible for him, but he does expect us to be open to his voice, to have our
hearts open, exposed to his influence, circumcised. When people become furious
or gnash their teeth at us, our response should be like Stephens. Those of the
Sanhedrin when exposed to the truth about their lives, responded in anger even
rage, but Stephen only could see God. Their response was due to having a life
centered upon themselves, while Stephen’s life was centered upon God. What is
our center? What is the focus of our life?
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