Full of Faith and the Holy Spirit

First of all, it is really good to be back in Kentucky and blogging again. It has been several weeks since my last entry because I have been traveling with my family. The boys and I got to go on quite a few adventures together, including to San Antonio and Dallas to see cousins, to Canyon and Levelland (Texas) to see grandparents, and to the Rocky Mountains and White Sands to hike and play.

"Full of faith and the Holy Spirit" is how Stephen is described in Acts 6 as the early church was selecting a new set of spiritual leaders. Throughout the remainder of this chapter and the next, we see the embodiment of this description in Stephen's life. What was it in his life that others were recognizing? Is it possible for us to exhibit these same characteristics?

Sadly, we only get this short glimpse into Stephen's life because his life is cut short as a result of his commitment to Jesus. He demonstrates a life that has been so utterly transformed by Jesus that he trusts God even to the point of death. His own life means less to him than the glorious participation/partnership he has through the Holy Spirit with Jesus. In this surrendered, self-emptied state, the Holy Spirit speaks through him and uses him as a witness not only to his own time but throughout the ages to today. In his imitation of Jesus, he held the honor of suffering to the point of death for Jesus' sake just as Jesus had done. Luke tells us in the opening of Acts 8 that it was this very day that began the persecution that scattered all but the Apostles (sent ones) throughout Judea and Samaria. Thus, Acts 8:1 becomes the next phase of fulfillment of Acts 1:8, although it is the "laity" that are scattered as witnesses and not the Apostles.

Clearly Stephen was dearly loved in the early church community because they mourned him deeply (8:2). It is amazing that God chose Stephen to change the world from among the ranks of ordinary followers of Jesus. What will it take for us to have this kind of witness from ordinary followers of Jesus today?

Stephen was so compelled by love for Jesus because of what Jesus had done in him and the world that his life was surrendered and characterized by full faith and the Holy Spirit. There are so many of us (ordinary followers of Jesus) today who really long for our lives to be used by God in world-changing ways but often our lives are characterized by selfishness and the mundane. I long to be so surrendered to the Spirit's work in response to God's loving work in Christ. Here I am Lord, send me!