Acts 11:22,24: “Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch . . . For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.”

April 8th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Barnabas showed great grace in his warm acceptance of Saul of Tarsus (the Apostle Paul) after his conversion. Barnabas had a ministry of bringing people together and became known as an encourager. This man possessed 3 characteristics that every believer should have in their own lives.

1) He was “a good man.” This means more than that he simply behaved himself. It is a reference to his disposition. Barnabas possessed a pleasant, agreeable, joyful attitude. Not a pharisaical “goodness” that’s cold and unfeeling, but the kind that is easygoing, openhearted, and gracious. When the other apostles would have nothing to do with Saul, because of his past persecution of believers, Barnabas brought him in and championed his cause. He was not inflexible, but open and ready to investigate any new thing that the Lord might be doing.

2) He was “full of the Holy Spirit.” This was his most important qualification. In other words, he was a man who was continually receiving God’s wisdom, understanding, and love. That’s what being “full of the Holy Spirit” means in a very practical way. The fruit of the Spirit that Paul (Saul) later wrote to the Galatians about was probably first observed in this man’s life: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Gal. 5:22). Barnabas wasn’t like this solely because of his own easygoing personality, but because he was constantly drawing on the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

3) He was a man “of faith.” Most people mistakenly believe that faith is a feeling, something like a tremendous sense of expectation or excitement from within. And if they don’t have that feeling they think, “Well, I guess, I just don’t have any faith.” But that’s a sure giveaway that they don’t understand that real faith has nothing to do with feelings. Thank God that faith has a different object than our own selves. Biblical faith is a recognition that God has promised something; and since He is God we believe Him and act on that basis. That’s what men and women of faith who get something done do.

“LORD, we need to be more like Barnabas and less like the Pharisees. You have promised to never leave us, so help us as we walk through this day, giving us an open, graceful attitude. Let us be full of both the Holy Spirit and faith.”