And the saying pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch. Acts 6:5
Think about this: if you had never been saved, if you had failed to respond to the Gospel message or if you had never heard the Gospel message, what would you be doing now? What difference would it have made in your schooling, in the profession you chose to follow, in the life partner you married, in the friends and companions you accumulated? How different would be your daily habits, your hobbies and entertainment pursuits, your tastes in clothing, cars, and reading material? For those of us who were saved at a young age, this might be a difficult question to answer. For others saved in their adulthood or later in life, you know what kind of life you were delivered from and what kinds of changes your salvation brought. But for all of us, we must acknowledge that we are experiencing things that we would never have encountered if we had not been saved. Some of the changes have been dramatic, although probably not as dramatic as what befell Stephen when he was selected as one of the deacons in the early Assembly in Jerusalem.
The apostles could not have known when the Assembly selected Stephen and the others to oversee the daily ministration of the saints that the selection would lead directly to Stephen’s martyrdom. But that is exactly what happened. If Stephen had not been chosen, it would probably have been one of the others who would have been waylaid by the enemies of the Christians. But it was Stephen’s dynamic witness and boldness that brought him into conflict with those enemies. Although nobody knew it at the time, Stephen’s selection turned out to be a death sentence. Could our selection turn out as dramatic as that?
Let’s make one thing clear, the martyrdom of Stephen was not necessarily a bad thing. True it was that a valiant young man lost his life and that the Assembly lost one of its brightest stars. But his martyrdom had some wide-reaching impacts that are worth noting. Firstly, he set a great example for others to follow in being willing to suffer and die for His Lord. Secondly, his death began a period of persecution that led to the Gospel being carried forth out of Jerusalem to other areas and eventually to the rest of the world. Thirdly, Stephen’s defense serves as a wonderful treatise that we can study to learn how we ought to defend our faith. Finally, Stephen’s death brought Saul of Tarsus, who eventually became the magnificent apostle Paul, into direct contact with the claims of Christ. We can never tell what will be the impact of whatever we do for our Lord. But if we are faithful like Stephen, it will make a difference that God ever came into our lives and saved us.
You have been chosen to make a difference. How far are you willing to go to be the difference that your Lord needs you to be? -Jim MacIntosh