SUNDAY January 24, 2021
No Partiality with God
Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
Acts 10:34-35
God was doing a new work among the Gentiles. In Acts 10, Cornelius, a Roman centurion, a devoted and generous man, received a vision from the Lord. He feared God, and prayed to Him always. An angel of God was sent to him. The angel told Cornelius to seek out Peter: “…Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do” (Acts 10:5-6).
Cornelius obeyed and sent two of his household servants and a trusted soldier to find Peter. Meanwhile, while they were on their journey, Peter was praying on a housetop, as he became hungry, he fell into a trance and saw a vision. Peter saw on a sheet all manner of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. He then heard a voice say: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat” (Acts10:12-13).
Peter, according to Jewish customs, had never eaten anything unclean. He responded: “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” The Lord instructed Peter, “What God has cleansed you must not call common” (Acts 10:14-15). This object was set before Peter three times. Through this vision, Peter was shown by God that the Gentiles had also been chosen to receive salvation.
Jesus opened the bridge of salvation to both Jew and Gentile. The Gentiles could be saved through faith in Jesus Christ. While Peter gave the Gospel to Cornelius and all the others who had gathered, he, along with other Jews, witnessed the Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit:
…the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also… (Acts 10:44-46).
The Gospel is open to all; the most respectable sinner has no more claim on it than the worst.
~David Martyn Lloyd-Jones~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!