Justifying the Righteous To Give Him According to His Righteousness, Confessing Thy Name- Part 1223

"Hear the Word of the Lord, ye that tremble at His Word, your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for My name's sake, said, "Let the Lord be glorified, and He shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed ..." (Isaiah 66:5)

When we read about Stephen (a table servant full of faith and power, who did great wonders and miracles among the people), we learn that those he disputed with were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake. So, instead, they stirred up the people, elders and the scribes, and suborned men to say that these had heard Stephen say blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. Indeed, these set up false witnesses which said, "This man ceases not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered unto us." (Acts 7:8-15)

What was Stephen's response, even when he knew the outcome was death by stoning? He gave a resounding testimony from the scriptures that could not be discounted -- even by the most educated -- telling of how the Israelites had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness with them, to "whom our fathers would not obey." (Acts 7:39)

"This is the Moses which said unto the children of Israel, "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me, Him shall ye hear." This is He that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the Mount Sinai and with our fathers who received the lively oracles to give unto us, to whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt." (Acts 7:37-39)

"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee. How much less this house that I have builded?" (I Kings 8:27)

As Stephen points out, the tabernacle of wilderness did appear to the fashion that he had seen in the wilderness.

"Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum: We have such an high priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices; wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if He were on earth, He should not be a priest,, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law, who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things,a s Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for, "See," saith He, "that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount." But now, hath He obtained a more excellent ministry by how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises, for if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second .... In that He saith, A new covenant, He hath made the first old. Now that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away." (Hebrews 8:1-13)

"And for this cause, He is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament. they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. for where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator, for a testament is of force after men are dead; otherwise, it is of no strength at all while the testator lives. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood." (Hebrews 9:15-18)

"For the law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect, for then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins." (Hebrews 10:1-3)

But when He come into the world, He saith, "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me ... Lo I come (in the volume of the book, it is written of Me) to do Thy will, O God." (Hebrews 10:5-7)

This is the covenant that He will make after those days of old. "I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 10:16-17)

This is the timely message Stephen was sharing with his accusers. The greatest love story ever told. That is, the same God who made the heavens and the earth was manifest in a body like ours (and yet without sin) so that you and I could receive His gift of salvation, whereof the Holy Ghost becomes a witness within. (Hebrews 10:15)

This is why our salvation depends solely on how we respond to Jesus -- the King of kings and Lord of lords. The Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. He is the only commandment that gives life everlasting.

Jesus cried when He said, "He that believes on Me believes not on Me but on Him that sent Me. And he that sees Me, sees Him that sent Me. I am come a Light into the world, that whosoever believes on Me should not abide in darkness, and if any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not for I came not to judge the world but to save the world.

He that rejects Me and receives not My words, hath One that judges him -- the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of Myself, but the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment -- what I should say, and what I should speak." (John 12:44-49)

And then what did Jesus say?

"And I know that His commandment is life everlasting. Whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto Me, so I speak." (John 12:50)

His Word that became flesh and dwelt among us. His Word which made the world and was in the world but the world knew Him not. "He came unto His own and His own received Him not." (John 1:1-18)

In other words, Jesus was and still is the one and only commandment to the world. Stephen knew that Jesus was the Just One prophesied from the very beginning, "of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the disposition of angels and have not kept it." (Acts 7:51-53) This is why Stephen could honestly say that he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God because he was full of the Holy Ghost. He knew that Jesus was God in the flesh.

"And they stoned Stephen calling upon God, and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." (Acts 7:59)

Don't let another day pass without asking this same Jesus -- who is both Lord and Christ -- into your heart. (Acts 2:36) Repent and be baptized in the precious name of Jesus, for He alone can save His people from their sin. (Acts 2:37-42; Matthew 1:21-23) Study His Word to show thyself approved, and praise Him with thanksgiving for all His goodness and grace. (II Timothy 2:15)

Moreover, be filled with His gift of the Holy Ghost -- His Spirit living within -- and begin a faith journey whereby the glamours of this world become pale in comparison, knowing that our Lord God willingly became our Saviour. His love never fails.

"Howbeit the Most High dwells not in temples made with hands, as saith the prophet, "Heaven is My throne and earth is My footstool. What house will ye build Me?" saith the Lord. "Or what is the place of My rest? Hath not My hand made all these things?" (Acts 7:48-50)

In this current dispensation of grace, this same God who fills the heavens with His glory wants to become your personal Saviour, dwelling within your heart. Say yes to His invitation.

Stand in the offering plate.