ACTS 7:59-60: “And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” NKJV

OBSERVATION: What is the greatest evidence of the power of God working in my life? Is it a miraculous healing? Is it great wisdom and knowledge? Is it powerful faith to move mountains? Is it the exercise of some spiritual gift?

NO! It is the power to forgive!

Jesus said that His disciples would be known by their love for one another.

John 13:35: “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” NKJV

Paul reminded us that love trumps every spiritual gift or act of faith that one can manifest in their lives.

I Corinthians 13:1-3: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” NKJV

Jesus linked our ability to love with our experience of His forgiveness and the ability to forgive.

Luke 7:41-48: “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore, I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” NKJV

As Stephen was being stoned for his faith and profession of Jesus Christ as Lord, sitting at the right hand of the Father, his heart was so filled with the love of God that in his last breath he cried out – “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” At that moment, Stephen’s heart was perfectly joined with the heart of Jesus, who also in His last breathing moment declared – “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

“I FORGIVE HIM!”

Love does not hold onto offenses. A heart that has received forgiveness freely gives the same. The greatest example I have seen of this in my lifetime was when Erika Kirk, just days after her husband was assassinated, paused as she spoke at his memorial service and said, “I forgive him” (speaking of the young man who was arrested for killing her husband, Charlie Kirk).

The room was silent. It was as if you could hear a holy gasp. The world would continue to mock and hurl its stones, but before them, as before the Pharisees, stood a woman who had been forgiven much, loved much, and could do nothing else but forgive. Her husband had given his life calling young men and women to faith in Jesus Christ. How could she refuse to offer the same grace to even the one who had taken his life?

This has affected me deeply. Would I do the same? Am I keeping a ledger of small, insignificant hurts, or am I running to the Cross to be forgiven and to receive the grace to forgive as Christ has forgiven me?

Just last night, in the first sit-down interview since Charlie Kirk was killed, Erika Kirk talked about that moment. She stated that forgiveness was not a sign of weakness. To forgive was what she had to do so that she could continue to do what God desired her to do. To hold on to this offense would rob her of her intimacy with the Lord and would rob her of her precious time with her children, who needed her so much.

Unforgiveness keeps us in prison and does nothing to the offending party. The enemy of our souls knows this and loves to put us into this hellish jail. Yet, love conquers all hate. Love, the love of Jesus Christ, enables even one who is being physically stoned to death to offer words of forgiveness and a prayer for the salvation of the offending party. Jesus died to seek and save the lost. We cannot join hands with Him in this work if we are not willing to forgive.

If I am having difficulty forgiving, I need to draw near to the love of Jesus Christ. I need to gaze up at the Cross and remember His great sacrifice. I need to experience the depth of the love of Jesus Christ anew in my life. As I am transformed by His love, I too will be given the grace to join with Jesus and Stephen and forgive.

Heavenly Father, transform my heart today with the love of Your Son so that I, too, may walk in the power of forgiveness!

In Jesus’ Name!