Today’s Reading, Acts 7-8
Focal Scripture: Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your ancestors did, you do also.”
Have you ever met someone who is stiff necked? Another way to put that phrase is like this; have you ever met someone who believes they can do no wrong. When confronted with truth they won’t even turn their head to consider a change in thinking. This attitude leads them to self destruction and also destruction of others. It demonstrates an unteachable spirit and a hard heart. A person like this is very difficult to reach because they don’t want to change who they are so they can align with scripture.
In today’s reading Stephen gives a tremendous account of Israel’s past. He explains how they have acted and how they have treated the prophets. He explains who Jesus is and what Jesus came to accomplish. Then he goes all in on the religious people he is surrounded by in that moment. He lets them know they don’t want to be told the truth and how they won’t even consider their thinking as futile. He doesn’t stop there, he tells them they have uncircumcised hearts and ears, while simultaneously resisting the Holy Spirit. These are people who are making a choice to not hear or even consider their choices. They are content in sin and lies. The worst part of all of this, is that these men are in charge of the spiritual condition of the nation. They have been elevated to positions of leadership and make decisions that affect many. These leaders even see success in their finances and synagogues. They have many people attend worship. However, they miss the truth because of their hearts.
What about you? Do you have all the right answers? Do you resist the Holy Spirit? I can tell you from experience that the hardest people to reach with the gospel are religious people. Especially religious people in the Deep South. They believe that their actions and head knowledge have earned them a place in heaven. Church attendance and giving tithe give them a seat at the table in the church world. Saddest still is that these people acknowledge God with their mouth but deny him by their lifestyle.
The point of today is to make sure your religion has not blinded you to your true spiritual condition. I have been around many professing believers who show no fruit of the Holy Spirit. They don’t desire the things of God. Holiness is a foreign concept to them because duty is more important than relationship. My challenge for you today is to ask yourself if you are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, or if you are stiff necked.
If you can hear biblical truth and not deal with it correctly you need to examine your spiritual state. Because you are either lost or so confused about salvation, you don’t know how to respond biblically. Don’t ignore this truth or you may find yourself believing you are born again but are actually lost.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading Acts 9-10
