Today’s devotion offers a strong reminder that, regardless of how indifferent someone may be to the truth of Christ, the Apostle Paul demonstrates that God’s Word has the power to transform lives and convert persecutors into preachers.

Bible Reading Day 176

AM – Job 7-9

PM – Acts 7:44-60

Title: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.

Acts 7:60 KJV

And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Have you ever wondered about someone you know who appears indifferent and seems unwilling to hear the Word of God? No matter how much you try to lead them to the saving knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, it often feels unsuccessful. This devotion shows that the Word of God has the power to transform lives, just like in the case of the apostle Paul, who changed from a persecutor to a passionate preacher of the Gospel.

Up to this point in the book of Acts, the church has faced two persecutions, yet no one has died for their faith in Christ. God granted Stephen, one of the first deacons, the privilege of becoming the first martyr by shedding his blood for his testimony. In Acts 7, Stephen gives a Spirit-filled sermon before the Sanhedrin, Israel’s highest court. This sermon was not an attempt to defend himself.

Note: Stephen does not answer the high priest’s question in _v. 1, ‘Then said the high priest, Are these things so?‘. Instead, his message emphasizes Israel’s history of rejecting God’s chosen leaders and ultimately the Messiah. It was a powerful, anointed effort to convict and call Israel to repentance. God is giving the nation one last chance to repent and accept the Messiah before temporarily suspending their role in His plan for 2,000 years.

Stephen’s preaching didn’t result in large-scale conversions or inspire many to rededicate their lives. Instead, the only ones who “walked the aisle” were an angry mob driven by jealousy, rage, hatred, and resentment. Nonetheless, Stephen’s sermon profoundly affected one young man—Saul of Tarsus—who later authored a third of the New Testament and became Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles. Acts 7:58: And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.

This should greatly encourage every preacher called by God to preach His Word. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Because of this promise, brothers and sisters, we should never cease sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

While the Truth may seem harsh sometimes, the Word of God has the power to transform and convict everyone, especially those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. We should take every chance to minister to those we know are not yet saved; they are not our enemies—Christ loves them. Like Stephen, our prayer for them should be, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” If we love souls as God does, many could become like Paul.