God’s Broad Offer
Acts 10:9-48

Who may fully explain the love of God?

Pray

How did an Italian soldier’s prayers reach the very throne room of God? Does it take good works to get an audience before God? Did his alms buy his favor with God?

Cornelius had spoke to an angel face to face, and He did what he was instructed. He sent a couple of men to Peter.

9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour (3 pm) to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

Quote: by Oswald Chambers

I cannot save and sanctify myself; I cannot make atonement for sin; I cannot redeem the world; I cannot right what is wrong, purify what is impure, or make holy what is unholy. That is all the sovereign work of God. Do I have faith in what Jesus Christ has done? He has made the perfect atonement for sin. Am I in the habit of constantly realizing it? The greatest need we have is not to do things, but to believe things. The redemption of Christ is not an experience, it is the great act of God which He has performed through Christ, and I have to build my faith on it. If I construct my faith on my own experience, I produce the most unscriptural kind of life— an isolated life, with my eyes focused solely on my own holiness. Beware of that human holiness that is not based on the atonement of the Lord. It has no value for anything except a life of isolation— it is useless to God and a nuisance to man. Measure every kind of experience you have by our Lord Himself. We cannot do anything pleasing to God unless we deliberately build on the foundation of the atonement by the Cross of Christ.

Application: Justification, Sanctification, Glorification = a work of God

17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate 18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.” 21 And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” 23a So he invited them in to be his guests.

Illustration: Dreams, visions, trances. Crosspoint doesn’t make sense.

Application: Notebook. Be ready to respond with change.

23b The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”

“God has shown me…” This had an affect on Peter. He knew then what was misunderstood before. God has always reached out to every person.

God is and has always been the only hope for each person. He extends an honest invitation to all men and women and children. These ones must respond with faith not works, belief not efforts; these are guaranteed to walk into heaven due to possessing the perfection of the Lord. They shall know Him. The Spirit shall dwell with them.

Illustration: So while the Old Testament was focused on Israel, this does not mean God was not active in all people groups. There are plenty of examples of God redeeming others who were not given the Mosaic Law even in the OT. The Ninevites, The Aram General Naaman healed of Leprosy, the prostitute Rahab, The Moabite Ruth.

Application: watch out for our own prejudices. Muslims today for us. Share the Gospel! Forget about the rejection. Push through the fear.==

30 And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Bible Verses that Express God’s Working in the World

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

God Desires a Relationship with all People

So what is the issue with people who don’t have a relationship with God?

  1. They are in ignorance.
  2. They actively choose wickedness instead of God.

The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles

44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

Illustration: Peter experienced a harvest due to his obedience.

Application: God chose to record for us a clear record of His heart to all people. We should not think that we could answer every kind of salific question that any human may ask. These debates are for one’s who believe they have all of God great theologies condensed to a “pithy” statements and acronyms. Perhaps you have taken the time to study justification, sanctification, and glorification more than most, you should have found, if that be the case, that God has left some level of mystery to His work. He has not revealed every last detail to His creatures below.

I do believe however and conclude a few things.

  1. God was motivated to send His Son out of love for the kosmos1—the world to NT writers according to John 3:16. The history of the word = order; adornment; the heavenlies; in an ethical sense, of the ungodly; earth; human inhabitants.
  2. When the unbeliever reaches out to Jesus with full belief in Him alone, that one shall be saved.
  3. When a believer reaches out to Jesus for sanctification/salvation, that person too shall find what he searches for.
  4. God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy. (cf., Exodus 33:19)

Illustration: This is clear, God plan for us is unity.

Application: We should be looking for our family members!

Footnote:

  1. Kosmos: G2889. Abbott-Smith Lexicon, https://greeklexicon.org/lexicon/strongs/2889/.

Bibliography

Blaiklock, E. M. The Acts of the Apostles. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries series. London: Tyndale Press, 1959; reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1979.

Chambers, Oswald. “The Nature of Degeneration.” October 5, 2021, https://utmost.org/the-nature-of-degeneration/.

Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.

Longenecker, Richard N. “The Acts of the Apostles.” In John-Acts. Vol. 9 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. 12 vols. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein and J. D. Douglas. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981, 387.