Grace for Every Race

An old classmate was recently ministering to Muslims in Washington, DC. One day a Muslim man approached him and asked, “Who is ‘I Am’? I keep seeing ‘I Am’ in my dreams.” After giving a summary explanation, he gave the seeker a Bible and encouraged him to read the Gospel of John. It wasn’t long until he led the man to faith in Jesus, and at that point the convert confessed, “Many of the ‘I am’ statements I read in John I heard first in my dreams!” This story, too, reminds us that even when God uses visions to nudge people toward faith in Christ, evangelists must still do the exciting work of explaining the gospel to them that they might understand and embrace it with confidence.

God doesn’t always speak to nonbelievers—or even to Christians—through dramatic dreams. Sometimes he draws people through a deepdown hunger of sorts. Sometimes he begins to nudge people toward faith in Christ by making them curious about the gospel or about spiritual questions involving what happens after death or why people follow moral codes. If you are hungering to know more about Jesus or find yourself drawn into a conversation with someone who expresses such desire, realize that God does actually seek us. C. S. Lewis once remarked, “Amiable agnostics will talk cheerfully about ‘man’s search for God.’ . . . They might as well have talked about the mouse’s search for the cat” (C. S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy).

In 10:9-16 Peter receives a vision in which he is told to eat all kinds of meat without concerning himself with whether such foods are clean or unclean according to the Jewish dietary laws. Notice that Peter, like Cornelius, was praying when he received his vision. I’m not suggesting that something dramatic like this will happen every time we pray, but I do think it indicates that those who humbly seek the Lord in unhindered and unhurried prayer experience great blessing.

Peter is commanded to kill and consume diverse creatures, even those forbidden in Leviticus 11 (cf. Mark 7:19). While Peter doesn’t understand the symbolism at work in this vision yet, these unclean animals symbolize God’s cleansing of the unclean Gentiles. But Peter refuses to obey the command three times; he has a history of three-time rejection followed by affirmation! Food restrictions had long isolated the Jews from the Gentiles, but God was breaking down the wall.

To share food and drink at a table with others is a big deal. It’s a declaration of friendship, and in that way it’s like declaring a covenant. As Christians we should be willing to eat with anyone. And we should receive hospitality from anyone. Currently, many in my church have been reaching out to West Africans and other Muslims in our city. It has been so encouraging to hear stories about how these believers have shared meals with these neighbors. Doing so has broken down many walls and allowed for several fruitful discussions, and some of these Muslim friends have attended our worship services.

Acts 10:17-33

Next, Peter and Cornelius apply their visions. Peter is pondering the things he’s seen when the visitors arrive at the gate. They won’t enter it because they’re Gentiles. Peter is told he must not hesitate to go with them (v. 20). After all, a Roman official didn’t ultimately send them; God did. So Peter goes out to meet them. The men tell him a bit about Cornelius, the angel, and their purpose (v. 22). Then Luke says, “Peter then invited them in and gave them lodging” (v. 23). This hospitality offer may not seem like a big deal to us, but for Peter and other Jewish Christians it signaled a huge gospel moment! Peter and others are being “converted” out of the thinking that the good news is for the Jews alone.

Not only did Peter give the men lodging, but the next day he made a two-day journey to Caesarea, taking some of the brothers from Joppa with him (v. 23). These men would serve not only as companions but also as witnesses.

When they finally arrive in Caesarea, both Cornelius and Peter display deep humility. Cornelius, a Roman official, bows before this Jewish fisherman! Then the Jewish fisherman reminds Cornelius that both are simply men, created by God. There’s no need to bow to one another. They are together only because they have submitted to God’s Word and are acting in humility toward God and one another.

In verses 30-32 Cornelius replays the events for Peter, telling the apostle why he sent for him. Then Cornelius displays even more humility, expressing eagerness to hear Peter’s word from God (v. 33). I can’t imagine receiving a better invitation to preach the gospel!

Consider three ways we can display a love for all our neighbors, regardless of their ethnicity or background.

Would displaying love in these ways come easily for you, or might you first need to be “converted” like Peter? If you hesitate at the idea of befriending and associating with people unlike you or have never opened your home to those outside your usual circle, it’s possible that you do have an air of elitism. If so, ask the Lord to change your heart, to give you his perspective.

Acts 10:34-43

I love that Peter responds appropriately to the spiritual softball Cornelius throws. He doesn’t strike out but hits a home run as he preaches the gospel.

What exactly does he proclaim? First, he denies that God shows partiality across ethnic lines (v. 34; cf. Deut 10:17-19). Second, he affirms that God welcomes from every nation people who fear him (v. 35). In making this statement Peter isn’t saying that God’s welcome is based on works (see the necessity of faith and forgiveness in 10:43). Instead, he’s simply saying that God shows mercy to those who humble themselves before him. Third, Peter stresses that Jesus, the sent One who preached peace, is Lord of all (v. 36). Fourth, Peter assumes the crowd is aware of Jesus’s controversial earthly ministry (vv. 37-38), which included several elements. Peter mentions the descent of the Spirit at Jesus’s baptism, Jesus’s good deeds, Jesus’s healings and power over the devil, and God’s presence with Jesus. Fifth, Peter centers his message on the cross, the resurrection, and the return of Jesus (vv. 39-42). Then, finally, Peter mentions the prophets—but the sermon gets cut off before passages are quoted (v. 43; cf. 11:15) as the Spirit of God falls on the Gentiles in the middle of the sermon (10:44).

This passage provides essentials we should ponder and incorporate into our own gospel presentations:

This message of salvation opened the door of the kingdom to the Gentiles, and it will continue to open the door to heaven for all who will embrace it. John Stott comments on Peter’s door-opening ministry:

We have already watched him [Peter] use these keys effectively, opening the kingdom to Jews on the Day of Pentecost and then to Samaritans soon afterwards. Now he is to use them again to open the kingdom to Gentiles; by evangelizing and baptizing Cornelius, the first Gentile convert (cf. Acts 15:7). (Message of Acts, 19)

And it’s to this baptism we now turn.

Acts 10:44-48

Luke records the Gentiles’ amazing response to Peter’s sermon. What happens here is essentially a Gentile Pentecost, verifying that salvation has come to them also. The verse 44 phrase “came down” appeared in 8:15 when the Spirit fell on the Samaritans during what some call the Samaritan Pentecost. The phrase “poured out” (v. 45) makes us think of the same expression used for the Pentecost that happened in Jerusalem in 2:17-18.

The Spirit is opening a new chapter in the spread of salvation to the ends of the earth! The Gentiles too are children of Abraham—not through circumcision, but by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone.

There are other parallels to the Jerusalem Pentecost. The Gentile believers were speaking in tongues, extolling God (cf. 2:4-11). Further, the onlookers were amazed (10:45; cf. 2:6-12). Finally, new believers were baptized (10:47-48; cf. 2:41).

While some of the Jewish brothers would struggle to welcome Gentiles, God welcomed them. He confirmed his welcome through these signs that demonstrated Jew and Gentile are on equal ground once they accept Christ (cf. Gal 3:28-29). The Spirit confirmed it, and seven Jewish believers witnessed these things. The massive gulf between Jew and Gentile was suddenly bridged.

Acts 11:1-18

Not everyone rejoiced at this change. When Peter returned to Jerusalem, he encountered great criticism because of his association with the Gentiles (11:1-3). Peter’s response was simple: he retold the events. Then he mentioned how he remembered the Lord’s words, which contrasted water baptism with Spirit baptism (1:5; 11:16). This showed him how God had given Gentiles the same gift, the same Spirit, and the same cleansing as the Jewish believers.

Then Peter asks the critical brothers, “How could I possibly hinder God?” (v. 17). In this we see that Peter was thoroughly convinced God was working to save the Gentiles; to stand in God’s way was neither wise nor safe. (Just ask Jonah.)

The critics were awestruck (v. 18). This doesn’t necessarily mean, however, that every single person was convinced of the Gentile mission. But Dennis Johnson notes, “Although there were some silent detractors, the church joined Peter in praising God for his gift to the Gentiles” (Let’s Study Acts, 142). And they were right to glorify God. No one deserves salvation. Those who experience it—Jew and Gentile alike—should give the Savior ceaseless praise.

The point of this narrative is this: the gospel is for the nations. God’s conversion of Peter’s attitude and the spiritual conversion God brought about in Cornelius paved the way for the Gentile mission. Of course, God had already converted the Ethiopian eunuch prior to this work through Peter, but this story in Acts 10–11 has special significance:

Like Cornelius, the eunuch seems to have been both a “God-fearer” and a Gentile. The significant new development in chap. 10 is that Peter became committed to the Gentile mission. His testimony would be instrumental in leading the mother church in Jerusalem to endorse the Gentile mission and thus lend it legitimacy and continuity with the ministry of the apostles (11:1-18; 15:7-11). (Polhill, Acts, 249)

This new commitment to get the gospel to the nations will now unfold throughout the rest of the book of Acts.

Our source of power today comes through our union and communion with Jesus Christ. Do you need his strength in the midst of sickness, grief, or pain? Look to him. Do you need power to testify boldly about his grace? Rely on the One who raises the dead!

This text provides a wonderful picture of gospel hospitality, of extending welcome to outsiders. Will you ask God to use you in reaching a Cornelius? To do so, you may need to pray for God to cleanse you of sinful attitudes toward others. John Piper says,

Let us wash our minds and our mouths of all racial slurs and ethnic put-downs and be done with all alienating behaviors. And let’s be the good Samaritan for some ethnic outcast, and let’s be the Christ for some untouchable leper, and let’s be the Peter for some waiting Cornelius. (“What God Has Cleansed Do Not Call Common”)

Peter gives us a good model of what we’re to do: we must preach the gospel. It’s the power of God for salvation “to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16). Don’t doubt the gospel’s power. Have full confidence in it as you present it to everyone on the planet.

God in his grace reaches down to convert vicious men like Saul, immoral people like the Samaritan woman at the well, and religious men like Cornelius who might appear to have everything together. Regardless of your preconversion state, if you’re a Christian today, you should stand amazed at his grace to you. To him be the glory forever.