Acts 11:23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them to all remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.
Actions speak louder than words. I am sure you have heard this phrase spoken around you in your lifetime, perhaps even spoken to you personally. It is easy to say things. It is much more difficult to actually put all our words in to action. Actions say something words can’t.
Of course, there are some words that we speak which shouldn’t be put into action. This is especially true when we speak words hastily or in anger. These words should not be put into action. They should be allowed to die on the vine or wither on the floor. And we have seen many of these words spoken in the political arena. Let us let them die on the floor. Don’t give them any breath of life.
The early church had some hurdles to overcome. One of them centered around the extent of the Gospel reach. Was it really for the whole world, or only for the Jews? After Paul’s conversion the LORD began to demonstrate that the Good News was for everyone.
This started in earnest with Peter, the apostle to the Jews. Even Peter was told that all are accepted at this new table. Gentiles were welcomed by the LORD to embrace and live out the Gospel.
Barnabas was a leader in the early church. He was trusted by those believers in Jerusalem to accurately and faithfully carry out the commission of Jesus. When the persecution following the stoning death of Stephen scattered these first Christians, some began to spread the message to Greeks.
What I find interesting is that when Barnabas goes to Antioch where Greeks have accepted the message of hope in Jesus, he sees something that demonstrates to him that these Gentiles have truly accepted the LORD. He arrives and sees God’s grace at work.
These Greek Christians lived in such a way that Barnabas could see the change in their lives. God’s grace could be seen. And God’s grace should be able to be seen in our lives today. When someone claims faith, then their lives should have corresponding action, action that shows the grace of God.
In the rest of this chapter in the book of Acts, we see an example of this grace. Word came that other members of the body of Christ were hurting because of a famine. This group of Gentile believers sent assistance to the Jewish believers in Judea. They demonstrated their faith, their understanding of the body. When one part hurts, it all hurts. So they did something. They gave.
Oh that we would have this same attitude toward the rest of the body. Let us demonstrate the grace of God at work in us by what we do in regard to the rest of the body.
The Arnold Journey 