Reading: Acts 11-13
And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life(Acts 11:15-18).
Salvation is by grace alone. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this (John 11:25-26)? This truth was well accepted by the Jewish Christians who made up the core of the early church. Yet, for many, one question remained. Who was eligible for grace?
Since the earliest days of the nation of Israel, God has provided a way for those born outside of His chosen people to find their way to Him. And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you (Ex. 12:48-49). This process of conversion was still widely accepted in the early church as a necessary step for any gentile who sought to be reborn into the body of Christ. It is clear from our readings that Peter himself must have subscribed to this belief. Yet as he knelt in prayer on a rooftop in Joppa, Peter began to undergo a ‘conversion’ of his own.
Prayer is a great revealer. The more one prays, the more hardness and hostility in the heart are washed away. As the Lord examined Peter’s heart, He found that His beloved disciple still had not fully grasped the universal nature of God’s love. By showing him the vision of the sheet with its ‘unclean’ contents and bidding him to eat, God was making a profound statement. There is nothing that is ‘unclean’ that God, and God alone, cannot make ‘clean.’ This lesson was enough to cause Peter to accept the invitation to the Roman Centurion's house, but it is what came next that truly humbled the Apostle.
As the Holy Ghost fell on them (the unconverted Gentiles), Peter bore witness to God’s acceptance. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? The question, “Who is eligible for grace?” was conclusively answered at that moment. Jesus Christ was not merely the Savior of the Jews. He was/is the Savior of all of mankind.
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise(Gal. 3:26-29).
Thought For TodayGod offers us all the opportunity to walk the path to salvation. Our time is much better spent following the path He has placed before us than arguing against another’s right to be there.
Word Studies12:1 Herod = Agrippa I, King of Judea, grandson of Herod the Great (Luke 1:5); to vex = to trouble; 12:4 four quaternions = 4 guards of 4 soldiers each; Easter = Passover; 12:15 mad = out of your mind; 13:17 high arm = great power.
Cross Reference:For Acts 13:22: See I Sam. 13:14; Ps. 89:20. Acts 13:33: See Ps. 2:7. Acts 13:34: See Is. 55:3. Acts 13:35: See Ps. 16:10. Acts 13:41: See Hab. 1:5. Acts 13:47: See Is. 49:6.
Pray For Staff:Tifany Parisi • Government Officials: Sen..Dan Sullivan (AK), Gov. Greg Abbott (TX), Rep. Max Miller (OH), Rep. Wesley Hunt (TX) • Country: Guyana (735,554) South America • Major Languages: English, Amerindian Dialects • Religious Freedom • 30.5% Protestant; 28.4% Hindu; 8.1% Roman Catholic; 1.1% Jehovah's Witness; 7.2% Muslim; 17.7% Other Christian; 7% Other/None • Prayer Suggestion: Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving (Ps. 147:7).