How should Acts 10:15 influence our interactions with those different from us? Setting the Scene: Peter’s Vision Acts 10 finds Peter on a rooftop in Joppa when “the voice spoke to him a second time: ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’” (Acts 10:15). The immediate issue was food, but the Holy Spirit quickly showed Peter that the principle extended to people—specifically, the Gentile centurion Cornelius (vv. 28, 34–35). What God Declares Clean • God Himself determines what is holy or unholy. • Through Christ’s atoning work (Ephesians 2:13–16), He now welcomes people from every background. • Any previous dividing line—ceremonial, ethnic, social—is rendered obsolete when God pronounces someone “clean” by the gospel. From Vision to Relationships • Peter entered Cornelius’s house—something he would once have avoided (Acts 10:28). • He openly shared the message of salvation, refusing to let cultural distance hinder obedience. • The Holy Spirit affirmed this new openness by falling on the Gentiles (Acts 10:44–46). How Acts 10:15 Shapes Our Interactions Today 1. Reject partiality ‑ “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” When God receives someone through Christ, we must not treat them as second-class (James 2:1–4). 2. Embrace gospel unity ‑ Christ “has broken down the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14). We actively seek fellowship with believers from different cultures, races, and social levels. 3. Extend the invitation ‑ Like Peter, we go beyond familiar circles to share the good news with those who have not heard (Matthew 28:19–20). 4. Evaluate traditions ‑ If a custom keeps us from loving or evangelizing a group God calls us to reach, that custom must yield to Scripture (Mark 7:8). 5. Celebrate diversity in Christ ‑ Heaven is pictured as a multitude “from every nation, tribe, people, and language” (Revelation 7:9). Our gatherings should be a foretaste of that reality. Practical Steps • Invite someone of a different background to share a meal. • Learn their story and listen well before speaking. • Serve alongside believers whose customs differ from yours. • Speak affirmation when you see God’s grace at work in them. • Guard your speech; refuse jokes or labels that demean people Christ redeemed. Scriptural Echoes • Romans 15:7 – “Accept one another… just as Christ accepted you.” • Galatians 3:28 – “There is neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” • Colossians 3:11 – “Christ is all, and in all.” Living the Vision Acts 10:15 calls us to see people through God’s verdict, not human prejudice. Every person touched by Christ’s cleansing is a brother or sister, a neighbor to love, and a co-laborer in the kingdom. Welcoming them wholeheartedly is not optional; it is obedience to the voice that still says, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” |
    |