“You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.” (Acts 7:51)
This verse is the entire point of Stephen’s message. Every Old Testament detail and Israelite historical reference is leading to this point – when you reject the message of God, you reject God.
Resisting the Holy Spirit is not some mystical process that is difficult to divine. It has nothing to do with speaking in tongues or seeing visions. Resisting the Holy Spirit happens when we resist the message of the Holy Spirit… when our necks are stiff and unyielding to the direction the Scriptures point us… when our hearts are uncircumcised and no longer love the truth because it has become inconvenient. When we resist the message (the Bible), we resist the messenger (the Holy Spirit).
I might add – Stephen’s explanation of resisting the Holy Spirit provides useful clarity to the issue of the sin against the Holy Spirit that Jesus said was unforgivable (see Matt 12:32). We can be forgiven of anything if we will embrace the message of the Holy Spirit, but when we sin against the Holy Spirit and reject His message – there is no road to redemption left.
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites
Today’s Reading: Acts 7:42-53
Questions to ask:
- How does this show the continuation of Jesus’ work now going on in the church?
- How is the gospel, Paul’s preaching, and/or Paul’s defense received?
- What is the Holy Spirit doing in this text?
- What in our reading shows how Paul handled adversity and difficulty?
This year, #Biblebites are following the life and writings of Paul. If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2023-vision