Acts 7:58 [All quotes from the NCV unless otherwise noted]
They took Stephen out of the city and began to throw stones at him to kill him. And those who told lies against Stephen left their coats with a young man named Saul.
Acts 8:1
Acts 8:1
Saul agreed that the killing of Stephen was good.
Acts 8:3
Saul was also trying to destroy the church, going from house to house, dragging out men and women and putting them in jail.
Acts 9:1,2
In Jerusalem Saul was still threatening the followers of the Lord by saying he would kill them. So he went to the high priest and asked him to write letters to the synagogues in the city of Damascus. Then if Saul found any followers of Christ's Way, men or women, he would arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem.
Saul began as a mere observer who was caught up in the raucous behavior of a crowd. Like any young man, his curiosity was peaked. Then, as a bystander, he became the protector of the coats of those who were killing Stephen!
It's a subtle progression, that moved him from 'observer' to 'participant'! Somewhere in this role change Saul decided that he was in agreement with the acts of violence that these men were perpetrating! That's a BIG STEP!
There are some missing steps in Saul's progression at this point, but apparently not much time passed. Did he begin to associate with some of these violent men? Was he noticed by some of the leaders of this mob?
All we know is that the next verse tells us that Saul had begun to destroy the church. He did so via a vigorous campaign that portrays him as going from house to house. Notice the description of violence: "dragging out men and women and putting them in jail!!
I clearly recall being taught in one of my college classes the correlation between Acts 1:8 and 8:1.
Acts 1:8
But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses
in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world."
Acts 8:1
On that day the church of Jerusalem began to be persecuted, and all the believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria."
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THREE OBSERVATIONS
- The subtlety of sin and its progression in our lives.
- God's persistence in getting through to us!
- What the enemy intends for evil, God can turn into good!
THE SUBTLETY OF SIN
One of the most clever tactics of our spiritual enemy is to persuade us that the sin we're about to engage in is not significant.
Put it in the same category with 'white lies'. It won't really make a difference in the grand scheme of things. It won't hurt anybody. No one will ever know!
In essence, you are being tempted to compromise!
Giving in to the process of compromise is a slippery slope!
Once you've begun to compromise, the temptation to compromise becomes more and more compelling!
- "Well, you did it yesterday. Why not do it today?"
- "It's a small thing! No one will notice."
- "You deserve a little pleasure in your life! Go ahead and do it!"
- "God doesn't really keep track of every little sin. Go ahead and live a little!"
- "Just do it! You can confess it later!"
And within three short verses, Saul went from holding coats to dragging Christians from their homes!
It can happen to you! It has happened to you! We can NOT afford to compromise! Write that down on the flyleaf of your mind!
THE HOUND OF HEAVEN!
God's love for you is persistent!
"The Lord is...patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." I Peter 3:9 [NASB]
When one of His sheep gets lost, He goes and searches for it!
When we have given in to sin, we immediately begin to sense God's displeasure! We begin to lose our joy! Guilt bears down on us. We lose that connection with God! Disorder begins to characterize our lives!
If we're observant, we will see that God is reaching out to us and calling us to repentance! He wants us back in a right relationship with Him! He wants to use us for His glorious purposes!
If we allow Him,
"He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."
[Psalm 23:3 NASB]
That inner peace is renewed in our lives! We know that we are back in a right relationship with our Lord!
GOD REDEEMS US AND USES US FOR HIS PURPOSES!
Our amazing God took the zealous persecutor of Christians and appointed him as Judas' replacement among the Twelve!
No one saw this one coming! The original apostles were slow to accept Saul/Paul! They were afraid of him! They were suspicious of his intent! After all, this was the man who - almost single handedly - caused the Christians in Jerusalem to flee the city!
God will do the same in you - if you'll allow Him!
Once cleansed, He will position you for influence! People will see the change in your life and will follow in your footsteps! They will want the peace, joy and assurance that you exhibit!
Your spiritual impact will be magnified and your fruitfulness will be noticeable!
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Can God still do this? Is He still redeeming lives for His purposes?
ABSOLUTELY!
I recently re-read a book by Chuck Colson. He was President Nixon's 'hatchetman'. His intelligence and strategic manipulation was infamous!
And yet - great was his fall!
From advisor to the president of the United States to the penitentiary! In this evolution, a friend reached out to Colson with words of faith and encouragement. He was given a copy of C. S. Lewis' book, Mere Christianity. After reading it, he humbled himself and became a follower of Christ.
Colson never gave up on the 'down-and-outers'. He founded 'Prison Fellowship' which still reaches out to prisoners around the world with the transforming message of Christ! Colson rose to a new level of influence among the Christian community because of his brilliant mind and outspoken leadership!
In the 20th century, God took another Saul and turned him into a dynamic and effective Paul!
He is able, more than able,
To accomplish what concerns me today.
He is able, more than able,
To handle anything that comes my way.
He is able, more than able,
To do much more than I could ever dream.
He is able, more than able,
To make me what He wants me to be.
To accomplish what concerns me today.
He is able, more than able,
To handle anything that comes my way.
He is able, more than able,
To do much more than I could ever dream.
He is able, more than able,
To make me what He wants me to be.
"All right, that's it. Let's roll.
And Hey! Let's be careful out there!"
It's equally important for us TO BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!
"Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
But resist him, firm in your faith,...
the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself
perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.!"
[I Peter 3:9-10 NASB]
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