Acts 7 | The Root of the Rebellion in Our Land

All across our nation, there are things erupting that I have not seen in my lifetime. They have surfaced before, but not to this degree in the last 70 years. In my opinion, we see what Romans 1:28 describes as a “reprobate (depraved) mind.” This word describes those who, through continual rejection of God, have such a hardened heart that wrong really seems right to them and vice versa.

The word describes one who has lost the ability to make moral judgments. Such thinking can passionately defend the greatest evils and rail against the most obvious goods. Surely the evidences are there of such a condition when we can kill babies by the millions (pause and think of that), celebrate and promote moral perversion of every kind, and seek to silence the voice of anyone who speaks Biblically.

This leads to a growing spirit of anarchy. Such a spirit will war against God and anyone who represents Him faithfully. This spirit has erupted in nations all through history who have walked away from God. The farther nations turn away, the more hardened they become. There comes a tipping point where any kind of evil is possible and promoted. We are now seeing the rapid acceleration of such evil across our land.

HEADLINE: “GODLY MAN KILLED FOR HIS FAITH”

Stephen, in the days following Christ’s earthly life, was a man “full of faith and the Holy Spirit” who lived to proclaim the truth about Christ to everyone. Because of this, those who had reprobate, rebellious minds (cloaked in the guise of their brand of religion) killed him. At his mock trial, Stephen accurately recounted the past history of his nation and gave this appraisal of the men who were about to unjustly kill him:

“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 (Christ), whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. (Acts 7:51-53)

In a rage, the next moments record the senseless, unjust killing of this innocent man. Men who walk in darkness always hate the light and seek to destroy it. It has happened for centuries and we must not pretend that our day is any different.

THE TASK WE MUST EMBRACE

It is the responsibility of those who genuinely know Christ to continually proclaim the truth about Jesus Christ to their generation with deep love and unashamed boldness. We must wisely understand, though, that there are those who will embrace and believe the truth and there will be those who rebel against God and seek to destroy Biblical voices. Satan himself will see to that.

Think Biblically about our generation and the state of our nation. Don’t merely evaluate along political lines but align yourself with Biblical truth and see the nation through the lens of Scripture. The only cure for our nation is a humble, repentant return to the God who made us, before whom we will all one-day stand. Pray that God would graciously send a reviving of the church to do her vital task. Ask God for a nationwide spiritual awakening that would accelerate His work in our nation. Proclaim the gospel as one who will soon face God to those who also will soon face God. And then, as Stephen did, look to heaven and see the glory of God which we will soon enjoy.

Father, forgive me for seeing my world only in human eyes when You have given all believers the ability to do otherwise. Through Your Word in prayer, help me see clearly and evaluate the world around me rightly. Deliver me from promoting only humanistic answers to the dilemmas we see. Help me to be one of Your voices for this generation. Give me the grace, compassion, and boldness to proclaim the only truth that will save us to everyone I meet.