Acts 11:23
Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
When he came to Antioch he recognized the growth of the believers there as the work of God's grace, rejoiced in it, and urged them all to remain loyal and firmly devoted to the Lord with settled, wholehearted purpose. To cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart is to choose with full, settled resolve to stay close to Him, hold firmly to Him, follow His leadings, come to Him, and serve Him wholeheartedly. That wholehearted turning calls for repentance, surrender, humbling of self, and seeking pardon, sealed by covenant with God by sacrifice and consecration to serve Him fully. For the backslider it is the way back to God now, breaking loose from Satan's hold and continuing to strive to be a Christian even when feeling hopeless, trusting that God is merciful and will pardon the transgressor who returns in humble, repenting faith. Seeing God's grace should bring gladness and lead to clinging to the Lord with settled purpose, and that wholehearted turning opens the way to the richest blessing given to man, makes an abiding experience with Christ possible, and is the way to receive the unction of the Holy Spirit.
Barnabas Sees Grace
When Barnabas came to Antioch he recognized the believers themselves and their growth as a work of God's grace. Seeing what grace had done made him glad, and he rejoiced. He exhorted them all to remain loyal and firmly devoted to the Lord. That devotion was to be with firm, wholehearted, settled purpose of heart.
He helped the growing church in Antioch and labored there successfully. The church's numbers increased as he and Paul taught there. His arrival, his seeing of God's grace at work, his rejoicing, and his urging the believers to remain devoted belong together with that growth and successful work.
Cleave With Purpose of Heart
To turn to the Lord and cleave unto Him with purpose of heart is to choose with full, settled purpose to remain close to Him, hold firmly to Him, follow His leadings, come to Him, and serve Him wholeheartedly. Failure to turn to God in this way reveals lack of that wholehearted commitment, and repentance that comes to Him is coming with that full purpose.
This full purpose of heart is entered by making a covenant with God by sacrifice and a covenant to serve Him fully, and seeking the Lord in this way is consecration itself. For parents and teachers in Battle Creek who have not brought up their children according to the Word of the Lord, this alone clears the soul from mist and clouds of darkness and opens the door of the heart to Jesus that He may come in and sanctify it by His presence.
Such turning calls for wholehearted repentance, surrender, humbling of self, and seeking pardon in coming to God with full purpose of heart. Those who remain unconverted must so repent, humble themselves and seek pardon, for without this they will not enter the kingdom of heaven. For those who have resisted reproof this wholehearted turn is the only hope, and God pardons the transgressor who repents.
For the backslider this is returning to God now with full purpose of heart and repenting of backsliding, the way back from influences that have separated a person from faithful brethren and the gospel ministry. It is also the response hoped for from many souls in a great field of gospel work where people hear preaching with close attention, come forward for prayers, and move toward baptism. It requires breaking loose from the bands of Satan and freeing oneself from his stronghold by resolving to break no more Sabbaths and by continuing to make an effort to be a Christian even while feeling hopeless, feelingless, and convinced that effort is useless. Eternal interest, life, and destiny hang on the course pursued hereafter, including refusing all cider, wine, and anything of a stimulating character, while God in mercy pities the transgressor and bears long with men and will pardon transgression on that return, and since Jesus still pleads His blood even now conversion and salvation are possible by laying hold of His promises in humble, repenting faith.
Seeing God's grace should bring gladness and lead people to cling to the Lord with settled purpose of heart, and turning unto the Lord with full purpose of heart opens the way to the richest blessing that can be given to man and brings gladness to those who witness it. Turning wholeheartedly is choosing allegiance to Him, and Jesus' blood makes it possible to keep God's commandments. Such wholehearted commitment makes an abiding Christ experience possible and is the way to receive the Holy Spirit's unction, and that unction causes a person to see himself in a new light altogether.
Cleaving to the Lord with purpose of heart is honoring and glorifying His name by dwelling upon holy things and having the mind filled with the vital truths revealed in His Holy Word. Serving Him wholeheartedly belongs to a converted Christian and is necessary for filling a position in the Lord's work. Serving the Lord and bringing the truth to others calls for this commitment through a living testimony borne through character, mind, and intellect, expressed in diligent, patient, and kind service, controlling one's words and actions and meeting duties and opportunities at home. It is expressed in rejecting selfish ends, honoring God and His truth, and bringing every power of mind and body into harmony with His laws, so that one's influence gives a faithful witness to believers and unbelievers.
Serving God with full purpose of heart resists the powers of darkness, and those who follow Christ day by day and practice His virtues gain victories with His help, with wholehearted service bringing the satisfaction of doing all one can under the Lord's blessing, strength, and grace sustaining those who rely on Christ and oppose the powers of darkness. It means being aroused from torpor, indifference, and idolatry of every degree, seeing sin in its truly wicked character, turning from selfishness to the Lord fully, cooperating with Jesus Christ, holding fast to Jesus, seeking Him wholeheartedly, following His leadings with full purpose of heart, and helping people turn from sin to the light with full purpose of heart. Those who follow Him wholeheartedly will not be forsaken or left in uncertainty, and the blessing of the Lord rests only on such true, earnest workers who adapt themselves to the situation where they are sent. It is reflected in seeking the Lord wholeheartedly so that God-fearing leaders can guide the people in the right way and keep them faithful to their piety and defining principles. It requires serving even when misapprehended, with motives misrepresented, losses, trials, self-denials, sufferings and labors unappreciated, work disparaged, and supposed friends alienated, without letting the spirit be chafed over what cannot be helped, by keeping the soul in the love of God by faith, crucifying self and unholy ambition for prominence and first place, walking in the footsteps of Jesus, and holding confidence firm unto the end, because Christ endured the same, followers expect no better portion than Jesus had, and those who are partakers of the sufferings of Christ will be partakers with Him of His glory. A leader was urged to make this wholehearted turn to the Lord and cleave to Him, but he continued in his own way.