Evidence

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is found in Acts 11:23. It was a time of great persecution for the church, but also a time of great hope. The stoning of Stephen had scattered people far and wide. As Christians settled in various places, they shared their faith and people believed in Jesus and were changed. News of this change reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to investigate. Upon arriving in Antioch, the Bible says about Barnabas, “When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God…” What does the grace of God look like? How is it evident? In the love that the church has for one another. In the way the church relates to those around them. In the way they study. In the way they talk, act, and feel. The grace of God is evident in all those who are shaped by Him. Embedding the Bible is an open invitation to be shaped by God and to become evidence of His grace.