“And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out.” – Acts 9:26-28 NKJV
When Paul came back to Jerusalem, the believers were afraid of him. They did not believe that he had truly been converted.
This is typical of many people in the church today. We see people who were in the world, prostitutes, armed robbers, womanisers, thieves, liars etc, being converted and coming to church but we have our doubts about them. Even when God is using them for great things, we judge them by their past.
Sometimes, they need someone to stand in for them. They need someone to hold their hands and brings them to the “doubting people” and tell them that “yes indeed, they are converted.” That is what Barnabas did for Paul and enabled Paul to do the work of God diligently.
We should all strive to do what Barnabas did for Paul for new believers and converts in the body of Christ. We should not be like those “doubting people” in today’s church.
Let us encourage new believers and people called to do the work of God, to stay in the church. Let us be the ones who are willing to stand in and vouch for them.
We never know, perhaps the single act of faith of vouching for them may be what causes them to stay in the church and do what God has called them to do.
Written by Kow Essuman, Esq.
The author is a barrister; qualified to practise law in England and Wales, New York and Ghana; a Global Shaper (Accra Hub) of the World Economic Forum and a firm believer in the gospel of Jesus Christ. #AdvocateForChrist
Official Website of Kow Essuman 