Men tend to fret over the motives behind others’ actions. Instead, men should trust the Lord to deal with the motives at the judgment seat of Christ.
One must choose his reward for actions taken. Would he rather receive eternal reward from God the Father, or temporary praise and recognition from his peers?
Often the best way to expose one’s motives involves asking and answering the question “Why?” This question may resurface at the judgment seat of Christ.
On the day Stephen was martyred, a young man named Saul stood by and gave his consent to Stephen’s death. Apparently, that day greatly affected Saul.
A martyr is one who is killed for his faith. Only two individuals are specifically named as martyrs in scripture: Stephen and Antipas.
There is one murder that far surpasses every other murder ever committed. That particular murder occurred when Jesus Christ was crucified.
Many who understand the wickedness involved in murder fail to realize that the scripture also warns “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer.”
At times, God called people to enter into war with the goal of killing their enemies. The Bible clearly distinguishes between this type of killing and murder.
When innocent blood is shed, God’s anger is kindled. If the shedder of blood is not rightly judged, God’s wrath could turn on an entire people group.
Capital punishment is not confined to the Old Testament and is not done to the exclusion of God’s grace, but rather as an act of God’s just judgment.
