Stephen stated that some people always oppose the Holy Spirit. Peter accused Ananias and Sapphira of lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). Jesus spoke of the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mt 12:31).
These expressions are rarely used today. We'd like to think that we do not resist the Spirit much because we don't violently attack people. However, we can be opposing the Spirit in subtle ways. For instance, the Bible says that "Saul, for his part, concurred in the act of killing" (Acts 8:1). Saul was an accomplice in murdering Stephen, the first martyr, but we have no record of Saul touching, hitting, or even speaking to Stephen. We have no record of Saul even helping in any way those who stoned Stephen to death. The only thing the Bible says about Saul is that he stood there while people piled their cloaks at his feet (Acts 7:58). Saul participated in murdering Stephen not by violent activity, but by apathetic passivity. We likewise can oppose the Spirit not only by what we do, but also by what we don't do.
| PRAYER: | Father, get me out of the "cloak room" and into the "upper room" (see Acts 1:13). |
| PROMISE: | "I Myself am the Bread of Life. No one who comes to Me shall ever be hungry, no one who believes in Me shall ever thirst." –Jn 6:35 |
| PRAISE: | A young adult group accepted the challenge to pray monthly in front of an abortion clinic. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College