Putting it All on the Line
And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Acts 7:56
How could anyone, read the 6th and 7th chapters of the Book of Acts and not pause to consider this Godly man named Stephen? What kind of a man would put his own life in jeopardy for the chance that someone would hear the message of truth, and just what was the truth he spoke of? Stephens are a rare breed today, but not extinct. They can be found here and there. They are those courageous individuals that will not compromise God’s truth for any reason, not even their own health. The Stephens of the modern age are missionary minded. They know that the only way anyone can be saved is to hear the word of God (Rom.10:17). They do not pander to the crowd. They do not sweet coat the truth with some watered down version of loving bliss without accountability. No they speak the truth, and speak it in love, but the love is for the one who is perishing! Stephen’s message like the message needed today does not preach Heaven without first speaking of Hell. It does not preach deliverance without first mentioning the condemnation for sin. The message he preached, the message we must preach, is the personal responsibility for sin: the wages of that sin, the strength of that sin, and the inflexibility of a just God who although is love, is also just. Stephen preached a message that was difficult for the guilty Jews to hear, but it was not fruitless. And, the Lord of glory stood at the throne of grace to take notice.
R.C.
