Message from Scripture: 1/19/2021

Our message from Scripture today is Acts 7:55. “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”

One hymn I have recently enjoyed is titled “My Savior My God.” The first verse says, “I am not skilled to understand, what God has willed, what God has planned, I only know at his right hand, stands one who is my Savior.” Typically, Jesus is portrayed as sitting at God’s right hand (Heb. 12:2), but in the above passage, along with this song, He is standing at God’s right hand. Some have wondered why He is depicted as standing here. One person explains it this way. “He stood out of respect for this one willing to die for his faith. We rise to our feet to honor someone. He stood ready to welcome Stephen with open arms. He stood ready to be Stephen’s advocate and confess him before God. He stood ready to come in judgment on Stephen’s murderers.” I believe Jesus stood in honor of one who gave himself to the Lord, and the Lord showed respect for the faith he had in Him.

Scripture doesn’t refer to this event anywhere but here, so it’s a matter of considering the nature of Christ, and the situation Stephen was facing, that we should consider. Whatever the answer may truly be, in a world where so many use the name of Christ so flippantly, so casually, for one to show this kind of faith, this type of commitment, this measure of devotion, is noteworthy to our Lord. Like those mentioned in Heb. 11, he was one of whom the world was not worthy (Heb. 11:38).

As the songs says, we can’t figure out what God’s will is for the world as time goes by, or what He has planned from day to day, but we can know Christ is our Savior, standing to cheer us on, and to welcome us to Himself someday. What kind of life are you living for Christ? It can be glorious, if we give our all for Him. God bless.

Robert