From bad to God

59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:59-60 ESV)

The first Christian martyr was Stephen. In Acts 6, Stephen is described as a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. Stephen knew Christ. It is the only way he could speak Christ’s own words as he was stoned to death.

Stephen, a man of faith and the Holy Spirit, was stoned to death by those who claimed to be children of God. The very Jews who professed to follow God's teachings gathered and murdered Stephen. The witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of Saul, a man on a sanctioned spree of murder, authorized by those who posed as children of God, priests, and scribes. In this stark contrast, Jesus' words ring true; they were not children of God but of Satan.

In this verse, we witness the transformative power of God's grace. Stephen, full of grace, in his dying breath, asks the Lord not to hold his murder against his killers. Among them stands Saul, the soon-to-be Paul, the murderer, who would soon meet Christ and be transformed. This is the potential of God's grace. It is what the grace of God can accomplish. It is what the love of God will do. It is the life-changing power of God.

God has the power to change anything and everything. Yet, we limit God's power in our minds and forget the omnipotence of God. God’s sovereignty remains, and His will must be done. However, we must remember that we do not know God's plan for us. It is called trust. We must trust in the sovereignty of God. We know that God continues to mold and shape us until we stand before Him, much sooner than many believe. I pray we all will hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Submit your whole life to God, all of it. Hold nothing back and rely on your faith and trust in the Lord. It will bring you everlasting joy and peace. A peace you cannot purchase or receive from anything in creation.

Grace and Peace!