Complacency

This morning, I was thinking about Stephen and his great faith. Although not much is said about him in scripture; what is said is profound. How could he forgive people who were stoning him? How could a loving God allow him to die? But then I thought of Psalm 116:15 which says, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints" and II Corinthians 5:8 which says, "We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord." I Corinthians 15:55 tells us that death has been swallowed up in victory! Death has lost its sting. Praise God!

The martyr of Stephen brought about so much good! In Acts 8, it speaks of Saul (who was later to become the Apostle Paul) who was persecuting the church. Scripture tells us in Acts 8:1, "Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles." Then down in verse 4, it says, "Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word." If times were good for these believers and they were content to stay there where it was safe and where they could become complacent, would the gospel have been spread? These believers scattered because they feared for their lives but because of this they shared their faith wherever they went! Without persecution, would the gospel have reached us today? I thank God for people like Stephen who was willing to die for his faith and all the believers before me and modern day believers who were persecuted for their faith and by that persecution, faith prevailed! May we never become complacent with our faith! The death of the saints should never be in vain.