Trusting God leads to obedience, which is seen in Peter’s life as the Lord begins to do something new. Hebrews 11:1Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.[1] As the early church spread out from Jerusalem, it was now God’s plan to evangelize the Gentiles, but the Jews saw them as unclean.
For centuries, the Jews, based on the Old Testament Law, had seen the Gentiles as unclean. Because this was such a foundational belief, God had to change Peter’s belief about Gentiles. By giving Peter a vision of a sheet coming down with all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds, the Lord would change his view on what he thought was unclean. Acts 10:13 Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.” 14 “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.” 15 But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.”[2]
God is Saying the Gentiles are Not Unclean
The Jewish dietary laws made it difficult to eat with non-Jews without risking defilement. In this vision, the Lord clarified that He was working outside Israel, and Peter needed to know nothing was unclean. Even before the vision, the Lord broke down barriers in Peter’s life as he stayed with a leatherworker. This occupation would result in contact with dead animals and was considered an unclean job. As Peter contemplated the vision the Lord gave him about God making something clean, there was a knock at his door.
Peter Must Put His Faith Into Action
Have you ever had to put your faith into action without much warning? Peter had a vision that what God said was clean, and now he would have to trust God and welcome Gentiles into his home. The messengers from Cornelius knocked at Peter’s door, and Peter had a question for them.
Acts 10:21Why have you come?” 22 They said, “We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout and God-fearing man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to summon you to his house so that he can hear your message.” 23 So Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The next day, he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa. [3]
Peter obeyed God’s directions about Gentiles out of his love for Jesus, not religious obligations. Jesus tells us to do this. John 14:15If you love me, obey my commandments.”[4] Obedience is the fruit of trusting God. When we pray to God and agree to obey, we admit our trust in Him and that He knows best. Sometimes obedience is saying no to things the Lord wants us to lay aside. At other times, obeying is saying yes to what God calls us to do, like Peter. Peter had to see the Gentiles as clean. Where is the Lord working in your life regarding obedience?
To learn how trusting God leads to obedience, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-gentile-pentecost
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.