Acts 10:34-35

Acts 10:34-35 - Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.”

This moment in Peter’s life marks a time when God opened up his mind to a new way of thinking. All his life he had been raised to think that the Jews were God’s people and that God did not accept the Gentiles. The Gentiles were an unclean people and could not be saved, but God corrected him. He opened up Peter’s mind, telling him that He has made all things clean. Peter had a vision and in that vision God told him to stop calling unclean what God has made clean. Then God sent him to the house of a Gentile to minister and stay with him.

There are a couple of things that we should take from this passage. First and most obvious: All men are created equal in God’s sight. There is no difference. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, what Country you are from, whether adult or child, or male or female. We are all made equal and have the right to become children of God. We just need to fear God and do what is right. Accept Christ and let Him bring us into the kingdom as children.

Next thing we can see actually happens after Peter return back home from visiting the Gentiles. When he got back he was receiving a lot of flack from his fellow disciples. It was their mindset that you don’t associate with this kind of people. Peter got a lot of grief, but he still obeyed God.

Obeying God can sometimes go against religious thinking. When you obey God you may get some grief from other believers, but who are we trying to please, God or man? We have traditions and upbringing that we need to get rid of as we renew our minds with the Word. Just because you have been doing something for years doesn’t mean it is right. Use the Word as the ultimate authority and be obedient to God. It is more important to obey God than to fit in with those around you.