Have you ever had a time in your life when you were stubborn? Sometimes it is hard to let go of what we are doing, especially when someone is pointing out we are headed in the wrong direction. In our heart we know we are wrong, but we just keep going anyway because we don’t want to be told what to do. I have done this more than once until I finally come to my senses. Maybe you have done the same thing.
Spiritual Stubbornness
When it comes to spiritual things, the Holy Spirit is always working in our life to guide and direct us, as well as to convict us of sin. When the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, He wants us to yield to Him and correct what we are doing. Like a potter, the Lord is always reforming us into something better. Cleary He does this for our own good because of His great love for us.
In our story, the Lord was using Stephen to speak truth to the religious leaders to draw them back to Him. It was God’s goal that they would yield to the potter.
Acts 7:51“You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! 52 Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. 53 You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.” [1]
The behavior of the religious leaders shows us the effects of disobedience and what not to do. On the other side of the coin, how does yielding to the Holy Spirit change us and give us hope? The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. [2]
Ask for God’s Help
Why is it important to ask God in prayer to help us yield to the Holy Spirit?
- As people, it is easy to get off on the wrong trail. If we are listening to the Holy Spirit, He will correct us before we cause more problems to ourselves and others.
- The Holy Spirit will correct us as soon as we begin to think about committing a sin. Sin first begins in the mind.
- God is all knowing and knows what is best for us. When we yield to the Holy Spirit, the Lord opens doors that only He could open.
- The Holy Spirit gives us great hope and encouragement along our faith journey.
Galatians 5:16So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves… 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things![3]
To hear more about the story of Stephen, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/hope-when-life-is-threatened
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.