“Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” Acts 10:15
The account of Cornelius and Peter showed the path for numerous non-Jews to accept Jesus as their rescuer and Lord. Acts 10 is an intriguing section and the vision Peter receives from God will enlighten us to how we are evaluating the other people around us.
In the early years of the church, only Jews accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. Nonetheless, Jesus had promised that His teachings would be spread around the world. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8”. As we look through the Book of Acts, we note that the disciples of Jesus were facing hostility in Jerusalem, causing them to be dispersed. This was in line with Jesus’ promise that His words would be communicated to the Samaritans, who accepted Jesus as their Messiah. This set the scene for the gospel to reach out to the Gentiles next.
The Jews looked upon the Gentiles as pagan and thus they were denied the privileges of the nation of Israel. As if they were dogs, they were treated as outcasts. However, the Lord gave Simon Peter a vision of a variety of unclean animals, signifying that He wanted Peter to spread the good news to the pagans. This was a momentous occasion, as this was the start of the Gentiles being welcomed into the church. Peter was specially chosen by the Lord to be the one to open the entrance for them.
If Jesus shows no preference when it comes to people, then who are we to make assumptions about them and pass judgment? “I Samuel 16:7 says, People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart”. It is natural for any human to think badly of certain people who have done things that are not ethical. They could have regretted their actions and asked for forgiveness from God. They couldn’t come to face us because of the guilt. We may question God like Peter and in the end, we will be told, Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.
It is very easy for me to write this passage and say go and talk to people who have treated you badly. I do have certain people in my life who I am not able to accept despite the words I am hearing from God. Our decision taken from the flesh is always weak. Philippians 4:6 says, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. So pause for a moment and pray over the people whom you are distant with. The Holy Spirit will lead you in the correct direction.
If the word of God encourages us to take a step forward and reconcile with the people we are distant with, gear up, get strength from God and go. You wouldn’t get another chance to make amends with those people. If Jesus were to take into account all of our mistakes and hold us accountable for every little thing we do, do you believe that we would make it in this world?
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