Daily Devotional

Our salvation is both revolutionary and evolutionary. Regeneration is revolution. Jesus changes our priorities, shifts our focus and brightens our outlook. But after the revolution of new birth takes place, we must continue to evolve and mature into the spiritual tools that God desires us to be.
The Lord’s intent was to expand the Gospel beyond Jewish believers, more deeply into the mainstream of non-Jewish life. Peter was to be an instrument in this expansion. But first, God had to remove Peter’s cultural and religious biases. Three times, God gave Peter a vision of the sheet let down from heaven with various kinds of animals, birds, and reptiles in it. And God told Peter pointedly that they all were clean. This was to break the hardness of Peter’s prejudice so as to make him more useful as a witness for Him. Then he brought Peter and a Roman Centurion named Cornelius together through an angel who visited Cornelius and had him send for Peter.
God wants to expand the borders of our testimony. But before He can do that, we have to let Him break up the hardness of our own hearts. Sadly, our attitude sometimes hinders our desire. We desire to grow and be effective, but our attitudes retard our best effort—superiority, arrogance and a lack of compassion. The same Word that makes us better charges us to share our testimony with others, no matter their background.
Cornelius sent for Peter, and when Peter came, He shared with Cornelius about how the Lord had been working on him. Peter shared the Gospel with power and conviction, and led those present into a saving knowledge of the Christ: “While Peter was still saying this, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the Word. And the believers from among the circumcised who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles (Acts 10:44-46).”
The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ is the answer for everyone. Our responsibility is to move past our borders and share Him with everyone.

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