Act 11:23 “Who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord”.
I love the phrase in this verse, “seeing the grace of God.” I am one of those people who love imagery; every word paints a picture in my mind, and every painting has a story. I can get lost with a blank canvas, brush, and oil paints. When I imagine seeing the grace of God, I envision all the things God bestows upon us that we don’t deserve. I imagine joy as a yellow sunrise, peace as a still blue lake, comfort as a gentle breeze, and salvation as pure as newly fallen snow. The list could go on because we don’t deserve anything but Hell! However, this knowledge only adds value to the grace God gives us.
When Stephen was stoned to death in Jerusalem, it caused the Christians to scatter. God’s grace was at work. What seemed to be a crucial blow to Christianity became a catalyst for the growth of Christianity. When Barnabas came to Antioch, he “saw the grace of God.” He was very glad. The persecution in Jerusalem had brought the preaching of the gospel to Antioch, and as a result, many turned to Christ. God’s grace becomes visible when sorrow turns to salvation. Suffering can always be used to turn us to Christ and allow others to see the grace he extends to us – if we will let it. I remember my Dad saying that cancer was the best thing that could have happened to him. He believed it allowed him the opportunity to witness to people that he would not have known otherwise. This attitude comes only from God’s grace. To see what seems to be a bad deal turn into a blessing. We don’t deserve to see the negative in a positive light, to see the joy in sorrow, to feel contentment in pain, but God allows us to experience these feelings by His grace. It also helps to keep our focus on the “big picture” of eternal gain. Eternal gain is made available because of the death of Jesus. We gained something we didn’t deserve because He took something He didn’t deserve.
Those who left Jerusalem because of persecution fled for their lives. Some would have treated their lives very carefully, moving to an area where they could try to fit into society and stop making waves. However, those who fled did not flee from their work. They left the suffering behind but continued to preach and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. They threw themselves into a larger field of opportunity, pressing forward to tell others about this amazing grace of Jesus Christ.
What does it take to silence the grace of God in your life? Are you fearful at work? Making the excuse that it is against the law to talk about Christ in the workplace. Do you use your busy schedule to avoid those in the grocery store, or your lack of energy to refrain from reaching out to others? What is your excuse? With all the technology God has given us, there is always a way to reach out.
Whatever the excuse, His infinite grace has been extended to you in many ways. Our excuses are vain, worthless, and selfish. Determine to let others see God’s marvelous grace at work in you. I challenge you as Barnabas exhorted the church at Antioch. He commended them for showing the grace of God in their lives and then exhorted them to remain faithful and steadfast in their purpose.
