Accept One Another: Devotions From Time of GraceSample

You Mean We’re Brothers? Making friends into enemies is Satan's work. Making strangers into friends, antagonists into brothers, is God's work. The gospel of Christ has reconciled God to us and us to God, closing the great chasm of sin and judgment and death. And the gospel does that wonderful work between separated people groups. Cornelius was an officer of the Italian regiment of the Roman legions that occupied Israel. He was proud of his Roman heritage in law, engineering, and war and was taught to despise the barbarian Jews and their backward religious obsessions. Peter was brought up an observant Jew, taught to avoid Gentiles and their unclean homes and food, taught to fear and resent this army of occupation. To the surprise of both, the Spirit of the Lord taught them that they were brothers in Christ. "As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. 'Stand up,' he said, 'I am only a man myself'" (Acts 10:25,26). The only reason that a Gentile like me is a believer is that some early Jewish Christians dared to share their faith with people not like them. Perhaps I can continue that holy process in my life. You?