Acts 26:22 – Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come.
This passage has the feel of that famous day when Luther stood before the Catholic officials at Worms. They were demanding he recant his teachings that birthed the Protestant Reformation. Strengthened by the Lord Luther refused and famously said, “here I stand”. Paul was challenged about his message on an almost daily basis, from those earliest days in Damascus until the day he was beheaded in Rome, Paul had to be strengthened daily to stand for the Lord. It is much easier to bow to pressure, temper your message, and maybe back off from preaching to the lost. Everyone from Paul to Luther to us today face resistance to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Luther needed strength to face his accusers, Paul needed strength to stay faithful even to death, and today is no different. We can stand like Luther and Paul only when we are energized with boldness by the power of the Holy Spirit. Here is Luther’s own words when facing his accusers.
“Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the scriptures or clear reason, for I do not trust in the Pope or in the councils alone, since it is well known that they often err and contradict themselves, I am bound to the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. I cannot do otherwise. Here I stand. God help me. Amen.”
The beauty of this statement, God did help him. He helped Peter when he faced the Sanhedrin, He helped Luther at his trial, He helped Paul stand even to his death, and He helped Steven as he preached with courage while being stoned to death. He is the one who helps us everyday. We live under a constant pressure to bow to the secular agenda of this world. Everything from the rewriting of history in our public schools, killing the unborn by the millions, and changing the laws which are the basic fabric of our society. There has never been a greater need for us to stand like Paul, Luther, and even Steven. We stand against the tide by the power of the Spirit.
2 thoughts on “TODAY I STAND”
Be strong and courageous, for the Lord your God is with you!!!
Ahhh…the Grace poured on the martyrs..
It is recorded for some, that as they were burning alive they were singing Hymns to God!
We have to know who we are and what the Bible says if we are to stand. We cannot waver in the ‘gray’ which the world so often and convincingly tries to sway and confuse us. If we don’t know the Truth (what it says and Who it is) we will fall. Strengthen us in our inner man Jesus!!! We fix our eyes on you, the Author and FINISHER!!!