But Barnabas’ generosity toward those in need took precedence over his thinking about his own future. - This verse in the Greek and Latin versions, as in some copies of the Hebrew, is divorced from its natural place, as the conclusion of the paragraph, vers. So even good men are not perfect men. Scripture tells us that a man should acknowledge the woman he’s with for all that she is. If you search the internet right now, you can find a ton of relationship advice on how a husband should treat his wife. The highest good for every person is that he or she be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ and be growing in holiness and in conformity to Christ. He had suffered much to bring the gospel to Geneva. Like the Proverbs 31 woman, a good Christian wife is a woman of noble character, wisdom and strength which she uses to lift up her marriage. . We all have bad days, but whatever you’re going through internally should not be taken out on the woman you’re with. You rely upon Him in every situation for power to overcome temptations that stem from the world, the flesh, or the devil. Although the text does not say, I’m sure that Barnabas contributed to that gift, and he gave his time to deliver it to Jerusalem. 1. “Do not be captivated by other women.” -Proverbs 5:20. A walk in the Spirit is a step by step dependence on the indwelling Spirit of God. Any other motive for our good deeds is ultimately self-serving, not God-glorifying. A walk is a step by step process in which you commit your weight to your legs and trust them to sustain you. A sensible person wins admiration, but a warped mind is despised. ( Job 12:25; Psalm 107:27; Proverbs 23:29, 30, 33 ) Even those who avoid getting drunk can still become “weighed down with . But Farel implored Calvin to stay in Geneva. Barnabas’ acceptance of people in spite of their faults led him in this instance to accept their sin, when it needed to be confronted. The Kingdom of God is the realm where God reigns supreme, and Jesus Christ is King. “Do not be harsh with your wife.” -Colossians 3:19. As a result, the rest of the Jewish Christians joined him in hypocrisy, “with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.” Since this error involved the very truth of the gospel (2:14), Paul publicly confronted Peter and those who had followed his bad example. The Bible lets us see its heroes warts and all. “Call your wife ‘blessed’ and praise her.” -Proverbs 31: 28-29. When a woman doesn’t feel appreciated, it opens the door for trouble within the relationship. Then we will look at how a person becomes good in that sense, namely, by walking by faith in the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 6:4) . By applying the lessons of their lives to ourselves, we will grow in godliness. If you want a relationship with a woman that is respectful and glorifies God, allow Him to guide you. The woman your with will appreciate the fact that you appreciate who she is in your life. When you begin to look at other women and develop attractions for them, it takes you down a path of sin and away from the relationship. 5 End Time Errors Christians Need to Avoid, Please also opt me in for Exclusive Offers from Beliefnet’s Partners, From time to time you will also receive Special Offers from our partners. American King James Version ×; 1 Peter 4:16 1 Peter 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. But to do so would not give you the full picture of Barnabas. Romans 7:2 states that a married woman comes under “the law of her husband.” Just as many institutions appoint a head to oversee their affairs, God has appointed the husband to be head of his wife. Harshness can be anything from an angry look and irritability to disrespectful and demeaning language. I yield all of myself of which I’m aware to all of God that I know. Their fasting would seem to point to a special occasion where they were seeking God’s direction as they waited upon Him in prayerful devotion. We see this instant and unquestioning obedience in Barnabas. When we first meet Barnabas, he is selling his property to lay the proceeds at the apostles’ feet to meet the needs of the early church in Jerusalem (4:36-37). Men must also let go of their old nature and embrace a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). New Living Translation. By being a man of faith. This is the second greatest commandment. We receive God’s love through faith in Christ; we return God’s love by devotion and obedience from the heart. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” -Ephesians 5:31. The phrase, “even Barnabas,” shows how out-of-character this behavior was for this godly man. The Bible nowhere reveals him to either be or to possess an "immortal soul." Respect can mean many things. Although it is speaking relatively, not perfectly, here is a man whose life we should study and learn from. When the apostles in Jerusalem needed someone to go to Antioch, they sent Barnabas (Acts 11:22). With shifting standards when it comes to modern dating, many men struggle with this, especially when they’re not married. 13:7). While we all have differing gifts and personalities, we all can learn from the heroes in the Bible. The very word can trigger images of darkness, of grief, and for some, fear. Don’t take her for granted. There is no command in the Bible to love yourself. We read of it in Galatians 2:11-13, where Paul tells of what happened once when Peter had come to Antioch. I heard recently that the mother of a convicted killer said that her son was “a good boy.” He didn’t really mean any wrong when he shot that other man and took his money! He is loving and caring. But once we have received God’s gift of eternal life in Christ, we show love to God in two main ways: heartfelt devotion, and willing obedience. Early in my Christian walk, I was taught that the filling of the Holy Spirit is an all or nothing proposition. All human goodness must begin in this God-ward direction. “Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring … To give you a level of Christian maturity that enables you to help other men in need of godly counsel. 3:12), because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. The Bible’s qualifications for elders and deacons also contain a good description of a godly man: “Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. Any man who beats up a woman is not much of a man. “Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also … . Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation, Related Topics: Faith, Pneumatology (The Holy Spirit), Soteriology (Salvation), Spiritual Life, Steve served as the pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship from May, 1992 through his retirement in December, 2018. When you honor her, you open the space to experience a love many others will never experience. A Lasting Legacy: Choosing A Wife For Isaac (Gen. 24:1-67). There Paul exhorts us to walk by the Spirit so that we do not carry out the desire of the flesh. Thankfully, the Bible is not just a book of doctrines and moral principles, but also a book of biographies. He told Farel that his calling was to be a reclusive scholar, not a teacher or pastor in the public eye. But Barnabas talked to Saul and became convinced that his testimony was genuine. Barnabas had a bent toward grabbing hold of men who were rejected by others and bringing them into a place of usefulness in God’s kingdom. As He controls more and more of my life, His goodness shines through me more and more. In this kingdom, God’s authority is recognized, and his will is obeyed. The Christians there were afraid of Saul, thinking that he was just faking his Christian faith to get on the inside, where he would continue his murderous ways. Then, with Paul, he went out on the first missionary journey, and they saw many more come into God’s kingdom. Followers of Jesus Christ were first called "Christians" in Antioch (Acts 11:26 Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. How the Study is Designed Purpose - The purpose of The Godly Man Bible study is to help you become the kind of man whose life is explainable only in terms of God. Was it just his natural inclination? Genesis 2:7 says, “Jehovah God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” A good man loves his wife according to the example of Christ and His bride, the church, for which He died. Here are six responsibilities of a husband according to the Bible. American King James Version ×). In fact, one of the most sought-after themes in the Bible is the definition of love. He took Mark and continued reaching out to the lost with the gospel. Should the risk of offending them keep us from saying anything? Although husband and wife have an equal standing in God’s eyes, the Bible says that each spouse has a distinct role in the family. Spending time in heartfelt devotion to God is one way that we show love for Him. When a man sets his eyes on another woman who he is not in a committed relationship with, it only takes away from your relationship and God’s Will for your life. Most people in the world would say, “The way to get into heaven is to be a good person.” Again, the definition of “good” in the minds of those who say this is so vague and broad that almost everyone qualifies. The whole Bible is summed up in the two commands, that you should love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and, that you should love your neighbor as yourself (Mark. Is your love for people becoming more tender and compassionate? Yes, the Bible treats life as a divine gift and something humans are to value and respect. God wants you to honor your relationship by being committed to the woman you’re with. Your good deeds, then, are not something that you do for God, but rather, something that God does through you. He wants us to live, and die, with the confidence that comes from knowing Jesus defeated death when He died on the cross and rose from the grave. Genesis specifically mentions three of his sons—Cain, Abel, and Seth. Acknowledge your special lady’s excellence and self-worth through acts of consideration. So a godly man is one who has received Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as payment for His own sin and has accepted the righteousness purchased for him there (2 Corinthians 5:21). He is a bully. Today almost every Christian has heard of Calvin, but few know about William Farel, who pioneered the work in Geneva. Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 4:11). Barnabas was a religious man. 10, 11, and is arranged as the commencement of Ecclesiastes 7.Plainly, the Divine prescience of vers. And yet, God’s cause will triumph and He is glorified by using imperfect people to accomplish His sovereign plan. Is your love for God vital and growing? Before certain men from the circumcision party in Jerusalem came to town, Peter ate with the Gentiles, contrary to Jewish custom. I also learn more of God, which leads me to trust Him more. . I think that both men were wrong in some ways, and both were right in other ways. You yield control of your life to Him, rather than being self-willed. Those that are good and healthy to eat are referred to as clean meats. The text assumes that he went without any question. Other than from reading and studying the Bible, I have found more help in my Christian walk through reading the biographies of great Christians than from any other source. If you focus on the fact that she is not only a precious gift to your life but also a precious child of God, it’s hard to not show her respect. But God wants more for you. Do you ask God to use you to reach the lost for Christ? Thus the apostle Paul builds his argument that “there is none who does good, there is not even one” (Rom. A good Christian husband is a leader, a provider and a protector. But his religion did not, because it could not, reconcile him to God. Farel continued imploring, and Calvin continued to come up with reasons why he was not the man that Farel was looking for. He compromised essential truth about the gospel because he didn’t want to offend these men from the mother church. A Christian husband loves his wife by prioritizing her. . What is the relationship between the Spirit’s power and our power? However, what this advice tends to lack is the importance of God in our relationship decision-making. “Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your . It also shows us that we all, even those who are spiritually mature, have our weaknesses and are prone to failure. "But let each one prove what his own work is, and then he will have cause for … But the Bible teaches that no amount of human goodness can qualify a person for heaven, because God is absolutely good and He cannot and will not allow even a single sin into His perfect heaven. Here, a virtuous woman is described as one who is a positive influence (verse 12), a hard worker (vv.13, 14, 19, 24-27), a good planner, manager (vv.21, … To be a good person, you must love God and others. Things just don’t work like that anymore. We are reminded through Scripture that lustful looks are considered adulterous (Matthew 5:28). Great reminder that God has a plan and a purpose for each one of us. Does debt affect giving in modern times in light of the Israelite tithe and slaves? The Bible states, in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, what are God principles to be used to determine which animals are beneficial to man's diet (called 'clean' animals and seafood) and which are not (designated as 'unclean'). The more we love God and others, the more we will trust God by giving to further His work. Somehow, mankind has collectively forgotten its oneness with the universe. A good Christian husband also keeps a special place in his heart just for his wife. It would be nice to stop here, on a positive note. When it references the husband being the head of the wife… that part might be a little outdated. By studying Barnabas’ life, we will look at what a good person is, namely, a person who loves God and others (the two great commandments). As that walk becomes a daily habit, the fruits of the Holy Spirit are gradually formed in your life. What should a Christian father be like according to the Bible? We always should be praying for opportunities to tell others about the Savior. Happy New Year: Past, Present, and Future Perspectives. Then, when the leaders in Antioch were ministering to the Lord and fasting, and the Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (13:2), the two men obeyed by going out on the first missionary trip. In Acts 13:2, we see Barnabas, along with the other church leaders in Antioch, “ministering to the Lord and fasting.” That unusual phrase, “ministering to the Lord,” has always captured my attention. If you’ve ever done a good deed for someone, even if it was to earn your Boy Scout badge, you’re in! But I now think that to be filled with the Spirit is an ever-expanding process that is never completely finished in this life. I just finished reading The Life of William Farel (by Frances Bevan [Bible Truth Publishers]), where (p. 367) I was reminded of a scene similar to that of Barnabas bringing Saul into service, and eventually being eclipsed by Saul. Praise her. But when these legalists came, Peter feared them and held himself aloof. When it comes to love, the Bible is mostly filled with wisdom for husbands and wives, many of these same principles can be applied for singles on their relationship journey. said Jesus. A good wife replaces 'submit' with mutual respect. New International Version. One evening in July, 1536, a young man rushed into Farel’s quarters and told him that Calvin was in town for one night only, on his way to Strasburg. Are we to be passive or active. Any love that we show toward God is a response to His great love for us in sending His Son to die for our sins. This separates man from understanding the true nature of things and, according to New Age teaching, visits upon him all the suffering of our current world and leaves him without the power to make reality conform to his bidding. Farel was a courageous Reformer and evangelist for many years before John Calvin was even converted. According to history before the bible was written, the original man was the Asiatic black man! While husbands are given a biblical framework, all husbands have work to do in God’s eyes. The church could trust him with the money, because he was a generous man, free from greed and obedient to God. In loving others as God does, how can we know when to overlook faults and when to confront them? Both men dug in their heels, and it led to a split between them. When you do stumble, do you turn from it and go on with the Lord? A person is praised according to their prudence, and one with a warped mind is despised. To be a good person, you must love God and others through a walk of faith in the Holy Spirit. A study of Barnabas’ life shows that, while far from perfect (as we all are), the bent of his life was to love God and others. Jesus knew that the young man was using the word in the relative human sense, not in the absolute sense of referring to God. Even though Barnabas was the champion of God’s grace in Antioch, as seen in his rejoicing in the salvation and acceptance of the Gentiles, he later fell into sin in this very matter. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). The Bible is clear that love is much more than saying, “I love you.” Love means opening our hearts to those in need by sharing with them the abundance that God has given us (1 John 3:17). By faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, the godly man has declared Jesus the Lord of his life, and his heart is set toward obedience (Romans 10:9–10). It is significant that when the work in Antioch grew to be more than Barnabas could handle, he did not turn back to Jerusalem for help. Although he was a Jewish priest, raised with the Jewish strictness about separation from Gentiles, Barnabas could see God’s saving grace at work in Antioch. Q. Years later, the apostle Paul referred to Barnabas as one, like him, who labored with his own hands to support himself in the ministry of the gospel (1 Cor. No human has the right to take his own life or the life of another. Paul insisted that a man who deserted them should not go with them again, but Barnabas with equal vehemence insisted that he should go. Barnabas’ love for people is seen in four ways: We saw this last week, so I will only touch on it briefly. Love the additional insight you added, Leslie, about what “perfect” means according to the Bible. He neither idolizes her nor neglects her. They are honest and open. Respect can mean many things. While we might wish to know more detail about some of the characters in the Bible, we are given these stories so that we will consider “the result of their conduct” [or, the outcome of their lives] and “imitate their faith” (Heb. All such ideas representing man as possessing immortality in his being are nonbiblical concepts originating from distinctly nonbiblical sources. No one is good except God alone” (Luke 18:19). 21:11-13) 2) “Lay hold on” a virgin who is not betrothed to another man, and "know" her, but afterwards pay her father a … A man should treat the woman he is with not only with respect, but also with tenderness. What does the Bible say to the church, and to the individual Christian, about the role of politics in the church? Since none are good enough for heaven, we need a perfect Savior to bridge the chasm between us and God. God calls us to love them by giving to missionaries so that they may hear the good news about Jesus Christ. He must manage his own family well. Except for one period when he was banished from town, Calvin spent his remaining 28 years as a pastor in Geneva. Perhaps if he had kept his land, he could have used the income to support his ministry. He was a good man—how so? The Bible tells us often who our neighbor is and how we should treat them. So a glance at Barnabas’ life shows us a man who loved God and others. “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect…” 1 -Peter 3:7. So, man is basically good. How much should love for God be a feeling, and how much is obedience in spite of our feelings? But this helps us to see that there is hope, even for someone like me, since God is pleased to use imperfect people. To be a good person, you must love God and others through a walk of faith in the Holy Spirit. Barnabas had already shown this loving acceptance toward Saul when Saul returned to Jerusalem as a relatively new believer. . “Honor your marriage; keep it pure by remaining true to your wife in every way.” Hebrews 13:4. Barnabas was right in that his stubborn love for Mark resulted in his later being used to write the second Gospel. Husbands must supernaturally die to self and this can only be done with God’s Spirit enabling them to love their wives like Jesus loves His church. As Jesus replied to the rich young ruler, who called Him good, “Why do you call Me good? The most loving thing you or I can do for a lost person is to tell him about the grace of God in Christ so that he may be saved. If we would just love others as much as we do love ourselves, we would fulfill God’s holy law. God wants you to focus on the one person you’re with and not be captivated by other women. We see the same connection in Galatians 5:16 & 22. How bold should we be in talking to others about Christ? Honor the woman you’re with physically, mentally and emotionally by remaining true to her. But here Luke applies it to the leaders of the church who are serving in the newness of the Spirit, not in the oldness of the law. Even good people have their weaknesses and failures. Barnabas put his trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and was born again. (See Phil. If you have never read the stories of John Calvin, Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, William Carey, Hudson Taylor, George Muller, and the many other saints who have gone before us, you are impoverished as a Christian! Then she’s yours. No. … Our world is filled with many distractions and many forms of temptation. Verse 12. The answer to the question of who is a virtuous woman according to the Bible can be given in 31 chapter of Proverbs. 12:29-31). A man is commended according to his good sense, but one of … Sometimes, all she wants to hear is thank you and know that you treasure her. From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. 9:6). 10, 11 is closely connected with the question of man's ultimate good and his ignorance of the future, enunciated in this verse. A good man doesn't beat up his wife physically, emotionally or mentally. According to the Bible, drunkenness is identified, not by a person’s passing out, but by such behavior as being disoriented, walking unsteadily, becoming contentious, or having slurred speech. . Instead, he went looking for Saul and brought him back to Antioch. It was no small commitment to make! But it should be always in our thoughts as we have contact with lost people. He immediately went to the inn where Calvin was staying. Are you aware daily of your need to depend on the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit of goodness in your life? 12:29-31). If you put that distracted energy into your wife or your relationship, imagine how strong your bond could be? While a husband and a wife are unique individuals with their own thoughts and beliefs, they are joined in a special way that only a husband and wife can be united. One of the important aspects of Adam's life was his role as father. “something being in its intended function” — such encouragement, sweet friend. Even after the rift with Paul, Barnabas did not get mad and quit serving the Lord. At some point (we don’t know when), perhaps on the Day of Pentecost, Barnabas recognized that he was a sinner and that Jesus is the Anointed Savior that God sent to bear our sins. All other relationships come second to his wife. Later Paul himself requested Mark’s coming to him in prison in Rome, adding, “He is useful to me for service” (2 Tim. Finally, to be honest in our look at Barnabas, we must note that even a man whom the Bible calls good is not perfect. Perhaps you saw the title of this message, “How to Become a Good Person,” and thought, “I’m not even sure that I want to become a ‘good’ person!” The word “good” is used so often and widely that it almost becomes a meaningless description. So having considered Barnabas, I ask, can it be said of you, as it is said of Barnabas, that you are a good man or woman, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith? According to the Bible, Adam was the first man, created by God. Barnabas was a nickname that meant “son of encouragement,” and he was true to form when he saw the new Gentile believers in Antioch. It is so important that God’s Word tells us if we neglect this command, our prayers will be hindered. That is how you can become a truly good person before God. It was used of the service of the priests at the temple in Jerusalem (Luke 1:23). A good man will LEAD his family Not to have a heart for the lost is not to love them. Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2001, All Rights Reserved. Usually, our greatest strengths are also the source of our greatest weaknesses. That leads to the fourth mark of Barnabas’ love for people: God used Barnabas in Antioch to reach considerable numbers for Christ (11:21, 24). “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect…” 1 -Peter 3:7 Respect is one of the most important factors in any relationship, especially in the eyes of God. This also indicates that to know and enjoy Him, we really need to know our spirit. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., 1976 in Bible exposition) and Califo... More. The Bible speaks frequently and clearly regarding many of the responsibilities and privileges of Christian fathers. Husbands are told to “love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). Marriage: A lifelong commitment. Death. Love is difficult to define, but from a Christian-standpoint, love is best understood through scripture. His focus was not on making a name for himself, but rather on seeing God glorified and His work furthered through young men like Saul using their gifts. Eventually, Saul eclipsed Barnabas in their work together, but Barnabas didn’t mind.
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