Acts: Go & Be Chapters 10-18预览

What is this passage saying?

Verses 34-35 are a beautiful proclamation from Peter of the work that God had done in his heart, and he learned very quickly. God was so clear in the way He was orchestrating this event- Peter had no option but to submit to what God was doing. And in his submission, Peter was reminded of the limitless love of God. Peter was able to see the faces of these gentile men and women who were starving for what Peter had in Jesus. He was given this once-in-a-lifetime moment from God to see firsthand that our God has never been, nor will He ever be, partial. God has chosen people with the purpose of showing the world that He alone is God and that there is no other god besides Him. God instructed His chosen people in the Old Testament to live in a way that would separate them from the pagan nations around them, who were immersing themselves in sin and depravity. We see in the Old Testament people from nations other than Israel being brought to be amongst the people of God. We see three women in the genealogy of Jesus who were from pagan nations. Israel was meant to be a blessing to the nations. Just as Christians are meant to be a blessing to the world. Tony Evans writes about this passage, “No ethnic or racial group is superior to another or gets preferential treatment from God. He accepts all who come to Him on His terms.”

What is this passage teaching?

The only qualifiers for salvation are set by God. Romans 10:9 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” We are called to repent, confess, believe, and proclaim; only then, will the Holy Spirit dwell in us and show us how to follow in the ways of the Lord. What we learn from this passage is to be faithful to the Lord’s prompting. We also learn that we need to know the voice of the Lord, to know when He is prompting us to do something in His will. You learn His voice by "being" in The Bible that He gave you, and by being consistent in prayer. As Robert Robinson wrote in the famous Hymn “Come thou Fount of Every Blessing” – “Tune my heart to sing Thy grace.” The gospel is so wonderful, so far beyond human thoughts- it needs no addition or subtraction from mere man. This passage is also a great source for us to learn how to share the Gospel.

How do I respond?

Know the Gospel. Be completely convinced of its life-changing power. Share the Gospel unapologetically with anyone who will listen. Once you do, you can watch as the Holy Spirit works in ways only He can: in both the life of the hearer and in your own life as well.