Genuine Faith

Introduction

I used to believe some interesting things about cows. I never thought I would begin a sermon with those words. However, I used to believe that white milk came from white cows with black spots, chocolate milk came from brown cows, and strawberry milk came from pink cows. The reason we could never see the pink cows is because the farmers always kept them hidden. I believed this aggressively and fervently. This thought was not original to myself. My grandfather implanted this perspective truth in my brain. I believed it immediately and no one corrected me and nothing that completely disproved this truth arose for years. I believed this up until I was 12 (I was much too old), until in one of my classes other students heard my claim and began to laugh and confront me on it. They showed me videos of how milk was collected and how chocolate and strawberry milk was made. My truth was dashed against the rocks. I actually became a little angry and aggressive toward the people who destroy this part of my reality.

The Bible, much like my story above, details an account of men who had excepted a certain truth about God and His Word and were never confronted about it. However, a man came along and refuted their basis for religion. Through this story God teaches us five truths about Genuine Faith.

Body

Before we read from Acts, we have to acknowledge the surrounding context about Stephen. Back in chapter 6 of Acts Stephen was called out of the Church body to serve. He created such a stir among opposition there that they conspired to get him arrested by claiming that he was speaking blasphemy.

The Sanhedrin (the ruling religious body of the Jewish culture) upon hearing of his “blasphemy” brought Stephen to trial. Thus Stephen spoke on trial to the Sanhedrin in Acts 7:1-53. He detailed the major points of the Jewish history. He quoted and alluded to Scripture over 30 times in this passage. He began with a detailing of Abraham and God’s calling on His life, he then transitioned to Isaac and Jacob and Joseph. He detailed the disobedience of the nations forfathers as they persecuted their brother Joseph. He then spent much time detailing Moses and the way God used him to free His people from Egypt. The man point He made was that the people did not listen to Prophet Moses and often did not listen to any prophet that was sent by God. He then detailed the Israelites disobedience at the Golden Calf as well as their disobedience in building tabernacles to foreign gods in the same camp where the tabernacle of God dwelled. He then finally contested the Temple structure claiming that God does not dwell in houses built by human hands. Understanding the immediate context we can now read from the Word of God.

Acts 7:51–8:1a““You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. They went …”

There is a clear juxtaposition between the Sanhedrin and Stephen. Not only in their faith and understanding of true religion but also in their emotional responses in the passage.

There are a couple of observations to notice from Stephen’s speech and subsequent martyrdom.

We Can Choose to Not Have Genuine Faith

These verses are the culmination of Stephen’s Speech from the previous 50 verses. Stephen flips the perspective from Ancient Israel to the current listeners in the Sanhedrin. He uses his speech to drive home that the same mistakes of disobedience that their ancestors made are being committed by them. He calls them out for their hard hearts and resistance to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He then calls back to the story of Moses and other prophets who were persecuted and some even killed because they spoke the Words of God to His people. In the same section, Stephen refutes the Law as justification before God. He makes it clear that not even the religious elite could maintain the Law that God had given them.

We are not above being stiff necked and resisting the Holy Spirit. We can choose to have religion and miss Jesus. We can choose to not have religion at all and miss Jesus. Stephen makes it clear that their resistance to the Holy Spirit is a personal decision that we make.

You will choose Him or you will not. The spiritual struggle between the flesh and the spirit is no light subject. It is difficult to walk in the ways of the Lord. Keeping the faith is not always easy. I acknowledge all of these things as one who has walked it. I have felt the draw of sin and temptation and I have felt the joy of resisting it and choosing the spirit. Often I fall to the impossibility of it all. However, I had a friend who was often blunt. He looked at me one day and simply said you will choose Him or you won’t. The simplicity of the statement frustrated me, as if he was not acknowledging the intense struggle that often consumed me and made me anxious. Nonetheless, brought to its base truth, following the Lord is a choice. You will make it or you will not.

However, if we choose faith, there are resulting effects.

Genuine Faith Will Face Opposition

One of those resulting effects is that we will face opposition. Scripture says that they were cut to the quick and they gnashed their teeth. Both of these were cultural expressions of intense anger and hatred. Stephen’s pointed statements cut them so deeply that their only response was anger deeper than simple words could express.

Simply standing on truth and stating it plainly is enough to incite vehement opposition. This is reality. This is expected, and this is warned about. John 15:18 ““If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” ;John 15:22 ““If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.” Man does not like to acknowledge our sin, because at the end of knowledge is culpability. However, the Scripture calls us to communicate the truth of sin and death, but also the truth of life through Jesus Christ.

It is important to acknowledge that Scripture call us to speak truth, but to speak it in love. Ephesians 4:15 “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,”. Stephen knew he most likely would not leave this room alive, and he knew his people and his heart was broken for them. While his words may seem pointed and crass, they were the words that the Sanhedrin needed to hear if they were to turn from their reality. Speaking the truth in love takes discernment from situation to situation.

Stand on truth and speak in love and the Lord blesses us.

God Blesses Genuine Faith

Stephen in the moment of knowing his fate is filled with the Holy Spirit. In the midst of this he has a vision of Heaven, in which Christ stands before him. Some observations from this beautiful scene. First, this statement foments the sanhedrin further, because he is claiming that Jesus has been exalted to a high position next to the Father (which we know He has). Second, this vision i believe is given both as a blessing and mercy. God is acknowledging Stephen and giving Him comfort for the faithfulness he is displaying. Third, Christ stands. This is uncharacteristic as every other depiction is Christ seated at the right hand of God. However, the act of Him standing seems to be to accept Stephen into Heaven in a special way as he is the first martyr for Christs’ Church.

God blesses faithfulness. He provides what we need, when we need it. He is a good God who loves and chooses us. He is worth choosing and the His goodness is found no more so than at the end of our faithfulness. However, God may not always bless in the way we see fit. Many would ask why not spare Stephen? Why not show your blessing my protecting him? To these I have not the answer, other than God is much bigger than I. He knows much more than I. Therefore, I submit to His ways and acknowledge that His choices and plans are better than anything I can devise.

Genuine Faith Makes Us Christ-Like

The most jarring part of this scene to me is Stephen’s attitude and response. Not only did he pray for their forgiveness, but also asked God to receive his spirit. Both of these statements are the words of Jesus while on the cross. In his death, Stephen leaned on the example of his Lord and Christ. When we give our lives to God. It changes us. We begin to model the example of Christ in all we do. However it is not by our own power or ability that we are able to do this. John Polhill said that “Stephen died in a way only a person full of the Holy Spirit could”.

When faced with insurmountable odds or indiscernible circumstances seek the example of Christ. Seek Christlikeness in all you do. How? How do we become more like Christ? We seek the Lord and the Holy Spirit. We find examples of how the Lord handled certain situations. We take seriously the commands of the Word as they will not lead us astray. We seek the empowering of the Holy Spirit. We always take the opportunity to repent and remain in relationship with the Father. Jesus never had to repent but He always took seriously His closeness with the Father. We must repent because we are still sinners even though we have been saved by grace, and sin separates us from God.

If we have a genuine faith it has one final byproduct that we may often neglect.

Genuine Faith Inspires Others

In verse 58 we see a mention of Paul (currently Saul) being present at the stoning of Stephen. Acts 8:1 doubles down on this furthering explaining Paul’s involvement and feelings towards Stephen’s death. Acts 8:1 “Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.” Paul would one day become one of the greatest Christians that has ever lived. However, in this moment he was heartily agreed to killing Stephen. However, it seemed that this experience stayed with him. He references the death of Stephen in Acts 22:20–21 saying “‘And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’ “And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ””

Wiersbe says “ the death of Stephen eventually meant salvation” for Saul. “He never forgot the event” as proven by the passage in Acts 22 “and no doubt Stephen’s message, prayers and glorious death were used of the Spirit to prepare Saul for his own meeting with the Lord” which came only a few chapters later.

We never know who our story will impact. The Lord has chosen to use us as the vehicle by which His message goes to the world. Therefore, we never know the impact our faithfulness will have. Your faithfulness could be the final example someone needs to break down the walls blocking them from the Lord. Your peers and those around you need your example of faithfulness more than they need a mirror or a perfect friend. God has placed you specifically where you are and will be for a purpose, don’t waste it.

Conclusion

Stephen taught us much about Genuine Faith. You can choose to not be faithful, you will face opposition, you will be blessed for your faithfulness, you will become more Christlike, and you will inspire others to faith.

Genuine Faith occurs at the end of a relationship with God.

Seek Him in the Word

Seek Him in Prayer

Show Others How to Seek Him