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 (Acts 11:23).
Luke,
by the inspiration of the Spirit, explains in the verse above, how Barnabas and
Paul went to visit the brethren, and they saw the grace of God. What does it
mean to “See the grace of God?”
“Grace”
is from the Greek word “charis”; it refers to the divine influence on the heart
reflected in the life of a man. It’s the outward expression, or the outworking
of an inward divine influence in your heart. Simply put, it’s the inner working
of the glory and the power of God in your life that radiates, shines, and
reflects on the outside. So, what these Apostles saw was an outer reflection of
the inner working of the power, and life, and nature of God in them—they saw
the effects of that grace.
You
only see the outworking of the grace of God. It’s like saying “We saw the winds
blowing.” You really don’t see the wind; what you see are the effects of the
wind. The effects could be moving objects, or the branches of a tree moving to
and fro; then you can immediately decipher that it’s a strong wind. You don’t
see the wind; what you see are the effects!
It’s
the same way with the description in the opening verse. The grace of God on its
own can’t be seen until you see what it produces. So, the Lord impresses on
your heart, through His Word and the Holy Spirit, and whatever is deposited by
that influence, is seen on the outside; it shows or reveals itself on the
outside. Then we can say, just like the early Church, “We saw the grace of God
on them.”
That’s
why it’s important to grow in grace. 2 Peter 3:18 tells us, “But grow in grace,
and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ….” The word “grow” is
taken from the Greek word “auxano”; it means “to give increase to.” To grow in
grace is to increase in the workings of the power of God in your life. And as
you grow in grace, more of the glory of God shines, radiates, and is seen
through you. Halleluiah!
PRAYER:
Dear Father, I thank you for the knowledge of your Word that causes me to walk
in an overflow of grace. That grace which is the power of promotion, reflects
on the outside, producing favour, beauty, goodwill, loveliness, perfections,
glory and ability in my life, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER
STUDY: 2 Peter 1:2, John 1:14
1
YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Acts 9:32-43 Ezra 1-3
2
YEAR BIBLE READING
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