Led by the Spirit: Journey Through the Book of Acts Part 1ಮಾದರಿ

Day 10: Love at a Cost

Few things feel more threatening than having our convictions challenged. When someone questions the beliefs we hold dear, we may feel an urge to defend ourselves or retaliate in anger. We may be so offended that we refuse to consider alternative viewpoints. Worse still, we may attempt to silence voices that oppose us or put us in a bad light.

That was what happened with the Jewish religious leaders who were bent on destroying Stephen after he accused them of resisting the Holy Spirit and harming God’s chosen servants (Acts 7:51-54). They dismissed Stephen’s testimony of the risen and exalted Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 7:55-57) and sought to silence him by stoning him (Acts 7:58).

In contrast to his attackers, who were full of hate, Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:55a). The Holy Spirit encouraged Stephen with the sight of the glorious Christ in heaven, giving him the strength to hold onto his faith and to plead with the Lord to forgive his executioners (Acts 7:59-60a). He did not directly defend himself against the false accusations but testified against his accusers’ act of rebelling against God (Acts 7:2-53). Stephen spoke the truth in love to provoke his hearers towards repentance.

Like Stephen, we are called to be witnesses of Jesus, not defenders of ourselves or punishers of others. We overcome our enemies not by winning arguments but by holding onto our convictions in the heat of their attacks. The martyrdom of Stephen teaches us that if our beliefs are not worth dying for, then they are not worth living for in the first place.

Also, we live out our convictions with love, not hate. We are to carry out the cause of Jesus with the character of Jesus. When someone hurts you or opposes you, are you quick to “cancel” them or get back at them, or would you feel sorry for them and pray for them? This does not mean you trivialize their wrongdoing, but that you leave it to God to deal rightly with them. That sounds impossible by human standards, and only those filled with the Spirit can respond to their enemies with love.

The death of Stephen and the assault on the church was like scattering seeds that would grow in all directions, as it drove believers out of Jerusalem and into Judea and Samaria, the very areas which Jesus sent His disciples to take the Gospel to (Acts 1:8). The opponents of the church wanted to exterminate it, but they were really helping to expand it. With the Spirit in the picture, tragic losses can become terrific wins for the Kingdom of God.

Reflect

• What do you think about people who are willing to die for their beliefs? What do you think it takes to be someone who values their faith more than their life?
• What would help you to hold onto your convictions about Christ while loving those who disagree with you or oppose you?