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them, they don’t know what they are doing.” Those are the
words of a crucified man; to be able to say to someone doing
that, “Father, forgive them.” His last words are in Luke 23:46,
“And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into Thy
hands I commit My spirit.’” “Father, into Thy hands I commit
My Spirit.” This is a heart of forgiveness, a heart trusting God
with His last breath and with total surrender.
I want to go back to Stephen, a man full of wisdom, full
of faith, full of the Holy Spirit, full of grace, full of power, full
of the life of the Lord. You know the story of Stephen. He was
sharing the word of God and they didn’t receive it well. Acts
7:54-60, “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick,
and they began gnashing their teeth at him, but being full of the
Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of
God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said,
‘Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man
standing at the right hand of God.’ But they cried out with a
loud voice, and covered their ears, and they rushed upon him
with one impulse. And when they had driven him out of the
city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside their
robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they went
on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, ‘Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit!’ And falling on his knees, he cried out
with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’
And having said this, he fell asleep.”
Do those words sound familiar? When Stephen was
dying he said, “Father, forgive them.” When Stephen was
dying he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Those were the
words of a crucified man. It sounds a lot like Jesus. When
angry men are throwing stones at you, you don’t say, “Father,
forgive them.” You know the natural heart like I know the
natural heart. How could he do that? Was he saying, “I’m a
Christian and I’m supposed to turn the other cheek. I better act
like a Christian because I am a Christian.” That was not
possible.
Stephen’s heart was full of forgiveness. Stephen was
not repeating the words of Jesus. It sounds like Jesus because
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