Cornelius had invited many to his home for a special occasion. He certainly won’t mind you and me looking in on what’s happening.
Cornelius “was a religious man; he and his whole family worshipped God”; but everything was not right! He had yet to learn the right way to God! An angel had appeared from God to tell him to send for Peter, who was in Joppa. (verses 30-33. Acts 11:14.)
Would Cornelius accept that all his religious efforts and prayers were not what God required to make him acceptable! (Titus 3:4-7.)
Have YOU realised that yet? You have not done enough religious activities to make you acceptable to God - in fact, you never could! (Ephesians 2:8-10. Galatians 2:16.)
Was Cornelius not angry to discover this? NO! He was excited, and eager to learn what good news God had for him through this preacher he had been told to send for. (Acts 10:32-33. 11:13-14.)
When Peter, God’s messenger, arrived, “Cornelius met him, fell at his feet, and bowed down before him. But Peter made him rise. ‘Stand up,’ he said, ‘I myself am only a man.’” (verses 25-26.) You see, no true messenger of God accepts worship from men; he will want all worship to be directed to God alone. (Matthew 4:10.)
Peter went into the house to find many people gathered there. Peter was from a Jewish background, and for a Jew to meet with non-Jews like this would have been unthinkable. But God had taught Peter “not to consider any person ritually unclean or defiled.” (verses 27-29.) Peter was now behaving as a “Christian”, and was willing to meet with any people to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them. (verse 24.)
He told them God had sent His message, “proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” (verse 36.) Jesus’ life had demonstrated His power over disease, and the Devil, for God was with Him. (verse 38.) “Then they put Him to death by nailing Him to a cross,” Peter said, “but God raised Him from death three days later and caused Him to appear … to us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from death. And He commanded us to preach the gospel to the people … saying that everyone who believes in Him will have his sins forgiven through the power of His name.” (verses 39-43:)
We don’t need to send for Peter, we have his message in the Bible.
What would Peter’s religious audience think of this message? Would they be willing to admit that religious duties, or religious leaders, could never get them to God, but that only faith in Jesus Christ could? (Acts 4:12. 1stPeter 3:18.)
Will YOU accept that Jesus is the only way - the only One - who can bring you to God, and will you trust in Him now to forgive and save you? (John 14:6. 1stTimothy 2:5-6.)
Read Acts chapter 10, verses 24-43.
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