Acts 7:54

                “When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.”

                Such is the picture of hypocritical men who have been convicted by the word of God, but don’t receive it with repentance. Stephen opened bare their hearts to the dusty Palestinian air with the word of God which “is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) Such flesh-cleaving and spirit-splitting words spoken by Stephen demanded some type of response from the council. Either they responded with repentance like the Jews that heard Peter at Pentecost “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’” (Acts 2:37) or the ones in front of Stephen could respond just like how their fathers before them did to the Prophets in which they persecuted.

                The word of God, spoken in power, can catalyze hostile anger and resentment from the receivers of the message, or they might respond with sorrow and repentance; but either way, they won’t be able to answer back with words. This prophetic voice is unfortunately absent from some pulpits, hoping just to tickle ears and stir up emotions in sinful and wicked hearts. The true word of God can and will cut open and lay to bear the sins of unrepentant hearts, making them wither break down and repent for forgiveness of their sins or respond with gnashing teeth and hostility towards the message and messenger which is the evidence of their own wickedness.

                May we pray for such words and messages to be revived in the dead pulpits today so that dead souls might be revived to the glory of God and the beauty of Jesus Christ.

Application: When Jesus said that I would be persecuted for righteousness sake, I should expect some from the hands and tongues of those that hear the truth. I shouldn’t expect my messages to be well received by everyone, which means I don’t have to water down truth so that every person can take the gospel without counting the cost. Lord, prepare me to speak Your truth and to witness some white gnashing teeth as a response to Your perfect and holy word.