Thread by @GPrater85015

#GeraldsDevotional
Pride and Forgiveness

This is the theme that the LORD gently placed on my heart this morning. Because of our nature, without exception we all have a problem with these two things. Our tendency to be prideful often makes us compare ourselves to others. Yes, even as Christians we may admit that we are

all sinners (saying these words with our mouths). But then we also categorize sins and compare our own with those of others. Pride is the original sin and because of it, we tend to look at the sins of others as being much worse than our own sins.

In our recent study through Luke

chapter 12 as Jesus taught the masses, he told them that all sins can be forgiven except one, the blaspheming or rejecting of the Holy Spirit (12:10). But because of our tendency towards pride, we can easily look at the sins of others, become highly offended, and then demand

justice. We can see a picture of this in the words of Peter in Matthew 18:21 when he tried to justify himself (insinuating how good he was as compared to others). Peter asked “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” Of course the Lord’s answer

was that he should forgive seventy times seven or infinity.

Does this mean that we should not want justice when sin abounds? No, not at all. The primary characteristic of God is righteousness. Injustice can never ever be in His presence, even for a moment. But God is also very

much full of grace and mercy. This is a tremendous blessing for us all. As described above, we often instinctively seek severe and immediate justice, but if we all got what we seek, it would not end well for any of us. What we all truly need is mercy and grace. When we seek FIRST

the Kingdom of God and His will, we can see what He calls us to do… which is to seek forgiveness, remember mercy, and to never celebrate the destruction of sinners.

Today’s verse is an excellent illustration of this. It tells the story of how Stephen was martyred. He had just

finished rebuking the Jewish leaders, telling them the history of how their ancestors had always been stiff-necked and rejected God’s offers to help them. Just as the Old Testament prophets had done, Stephen was being used as a vessel by God to deliver this message. He pointed

out that because of their pride, they had just followed in their father’s footsteps and rejected the Son of God. In light of the way that they responded, take careful note of how Stephen responded both before and after they stoned him.

Stephen the Martyr
54 When they heard these

things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing

at the right hand of God!”

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned

Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. - Acts 7:54-60
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