Day 37 - Things Change

Because of the Spirit, we abound with hope and are filled with joy and peace.

Several days ago, we looked at the story of Cornelius from Acts 10. What a huge paradigm shift for the Jews! All of a sudden, the very people they had grown up kind of despising were eligible for God’s gift of salvation. It wasn’t just your everyday Jewish Christian who had some trouble digesting this. Even the disciples and elders in Jerusalem wanted to talk with Peter and have him explain his actions.

Turn to Acts 11:1-18 and read this section where Peter explains his actions. Remember that most Jewish believers thought that God offered salvation only to the Jews because God had given His law to them—they were the Chosen. Other Jewish believers would agree that Gentiles (someone who was not a Jew) could become Christians, but only if they “converted” to the Jewish way of life first and followed all the Jewish laws and traditions (Acts 15:5-11). Neither group was right. God did choose the Jewish people and taught them His laws so that they could bring His word and message of salvation to all people. This was the original promise and covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; Galatians 3:6-9).

When Peter brought his story concerning the conversion of Cornelius to the believers in Jerusalem, it shocked them. What shocked them the most was that Peter had eaten with Gentiles! And in their minds the Gentiles were unclean...weren’t they?

Peter gave them a play-by-play account of the whole thing—from his trance on the rooftop to God’s insistence not to call anything He made unclean to the baptisms of Cornelius and his household. Notice verses 15-18:

As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God? When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”

When someone’s life is changed by the Spirit, isn’t it a tremendous thing? It was powerful in the day of Peter and Cornelius and it is still powerful today.

If you’ve ever watched television coverage of the America’s Cup race, you’ve probably noticed that the media shows you the days when nearly every vessel is running with a full sail of wind. Every crew member is at their peak as the boats slice through the waves. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? So, too, are the lives lived with a full sail of the wind of the Holy Spirit.

Are you running with a full sail? Do you want to be?