Devotional Blog - Tuesday, January 24th

Daily Devotional for Tuesday, January 24th

Barnabas Affirms Saul

Imagine yourself as one of the early Christians who saw firsthand the persecution wrought by Saul of Tarsus. You saw your fellow Christians persecuted, brought to trial, even martyred at the hand of Saul. Then Saul, who introduces himself as Paul, arrives preaching the Gospel and declaring how God saved him. You’d be right to have caution and concern about his sincerity. After all, nobody persecuted Christians more viciously than Saul.

Then Barnabas, this brother that you know and love well, speaks up and declared that Saul’s conversion is sincere, and God has given him a new name: Paul. By faith, you begin to let down your guard and show Christian love to your new brother in Christ. As you begin to fellowship with him and hear him preach, you are reminded that murderous Saul is no less capable of being saved than yourself. Saul is no less worthy of the saving Grace of Christ than you are.

Human logic uses a flawed rubric to determine those who are worthy of God’s saving Grace. We may tend to hope for the Salvation of our friends and not those we consider to be our enemies. Yet, Saul’s conversion to Christ is a shining example of the power of the Gospel. This man once passionately persecuting Christians is now more passionately preaching the Gospel to his unbelieving countrymen.