Acts 10:34-38 – Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
“Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” Family, here Peter clearly and plainly states that God does not show favoritism to those who can come and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. John 3:16, John 14:6, Acts 4:12 make it clear that only through Jesus can someone become a member of the family of God. Only through Jesus can one become a new creation, an accepted member of the family of God. One way, Jesus, that is plain. So let no-one twist our thoughts to think that no favoritism means that He accepts anyone who would attempt to get to Heaven without Jesus. That is not what is here being said. Cornelius would be accepted, but only through claiming that the sacrifice of Jesus, and no other thing, would bring him to be accepted by God and to know Him. God had sent an angel to tell Cornelius to seek out Peter so he could elucidate the Gospel of Jesus to him. So all who would come to God through Jesus will be saved. All, any race, from any land and all cultures, all. No favoritism here (Romans 2:11, Ephesians 6:9, Colossians 3:25, 1 Peter 1:17, Deuteronomy 10:17). All who come to Jesus will be saved. All who are saved should share the Gospel with everyone from every land, every color of skin, and from all manner of deception. And Family, the one that we as a church struggle with, is favoritism as regarding economic position. Whether in small churches or big churches too often we see the people of high earthly position or of higher economic means favored. How so? Look at your elected leaders. Is it overweight with the financially successful? God does not only want no favoritism in winning souls, but also within the church (James 2:1,9). There is no favoritism for or against the rich or the poor. There are many people of modest means, great humble, loving, and Word-of-God-knowing saints, who are not elders, or deacons, but maybe Sunday School teachers, but who won’t be considered worthy to be higher leaders of the church. Family, let’s beware of all favoritism. Let the people who lead our congregations be those who love God with all their hearts, those who love all the saints, and those who daily seek out God in all matters. These are the truly rich who should be leading our churches. Before we say “that doesn’t happen in our church,” know the truth. Let favoritism be a dirty and unacceptable act among us.
“You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” Cornelius and his family and friends had heard of Jesus and of Him raising the dead and of the seemingly endless number of miracles (John 21:25) He had performed, and even that it was said of Jesus that He was crucified and rose from the dead. He had heard that followers of Jesus were doing miraculous signs showing that God was with them. These people and their contemporaries knew of John the Baptist, and of Jesus, and of the followers of Jesus who were beginning to turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6). They had heard of Jesus, but they still did not understand. Cornelius greatly wanted to know, but as of yet, his understanding was not full. Peter was there to present to them the life changing, future altering, Gospel of Messiah Jesus. Peter now knew that there was no favoritism that excluded the Romans who had crucified their Jesus. No favoritism. God loves the person who loves Jesus. No exceptions, no favoritism.
Something to consider is the fact that they knew of Jesus. Peter said to Cornelius and to the group present that they already knew of the events concerning Jesus. Now, if they did not know about Jesus then they would have said so. They also had likely heard that when Jesus was resurrected many past holy people rose from the grave and went among the people of Jerusalem and appeared to many people and preached Jesus. Family, the events that the Apostles and disciples of Jesus reminded the people about were true and everybody knew it or they would have objected. It is only pseudo scholars with evil bents that object and doubt. These are people who were not there. These are people who, full of pride, think they can impose their current biases on the facts of yesteryear. The people who were there knew what happened. They knew what eyewitness said, or they were eyewitnesses. The historic facts in the Bible cannot be disproved. There are too many witnesses, too much evidence from non-Christian sources. Let’s not be sucked in by pseudo intellectuals and scholars who write books and get paid to be on television “documentaries.” The Word of God, what was then said and is now written of Jesus is true. Cornelius and his group knew it and were about to have a soul-saving revelation of the Truth. They were about to become disciples of Jesus because with God there is no favoritism to those who can come to Jesus. All are welcome! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.