ESOCS Devotional 7 October 2021
TEXT: ACTS 10: 17-33
MEMORY VERSE: “What’s more, the scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, ‘All nations will be blessed through you’” (Galatians 3:8 NLT).
While the Jews were busy segregating against the Gentiles, God Himself was engaged with giving out several miraculous signs as a means of opening up the door of salvation to all nations of the world. In a vision, the Lord told Peter to go to the Gentiles, associate and eat with them, as well as preach the Good News to them. How could this be, seeing that these are unclean, and not worthy of being associated with by the Jewish people? Suddenly, the messengers of Cornelius arrived from Caesarea, and called on Peter at the gate.
Meanwhile, an angel had told Cornelius to send messengers to Joppa, to fetch Apostle Peter, to teach him the Good News.
Peter went in obedience to the directions of God, for he had been warned not to call anyone created by God common or unclean (Acts 10:11-15). Christians and preachers must do the same; it is only God that justifies by His own righteousness. As far as God Himself was concerned in this matter, the innate self-righteousness of the Jews, and of people today was, and still remains baseless, and unacceptable.
All our righteousness is by God through Jesus who came to redeem us and to give us eternal life. Since no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is therefore evident that the just shall live by faith – whether Jew or Gentile (See also Gal. 3:8, 11; John 10:10b; Gen. 22:18; Acts 3:25). Self-righteousness profits nothing; only faith in God through Christ avails all things.
- Only members of the Christian faith shall make heaven. Discuss
- Lord, teach us not to discriminate, but to associate with all peoples, in order to show them the way. Amen
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
FURTHER READING: Ruth 4: 1-17; Zechariah 6:1-8; Matthew 15:1-20
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ESOCS Devotional 7 October 2021
