Some early believers were trapped in traditions and they misconceived Christianity as a religion that must be practiced within Jewish boundaries only. However, Peter broke the traditional shell when he shared the testimony of his previous encounter with non-Jewish Christians (which many categorized as gentiles). The scripture reported,
“The apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, saying, “You went into uncircumcised men and ate with them!” (Acts 11:1-3).
Peter responded,
“If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” When they (Jewish Christians) heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life” (Acts 11:17-18).
Lesson:
Any person – whether Christian or not – who segregate and prevent other people from becoming Christians is acting against God’s will! The Spirit of God that operates in believers’ lives does not segregate. Jesus Christ suffered and died for all people; no one should be possessive of the Christian faith and restrict it from spreading to others! However, it is the responsibility of every Christian to effectively spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to other people. All Christians must make significant efforts to preach the gospel to people of different races, tongues, nations, cultures, and backgrounds. There is no limit to the gospel, and God will bless anyone who ventures to step out of his or her jurisdiction to spread the gospel to others.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus Christ, please help me to be your true ambassador on earth, and help me to effectively preach your gospel to other people. Do not let me be an obstacle to gospel evangelization, but help me to support it to spread further. I also pray for your ministers that spread your gospel throughout the world, please anoint and empower them unto success. Give them grace to irresistibly share your good news and lead people to your kingdom through them. Let every opposing force towards your gospel perish. For in the name of Jesus Christ, I make my requests. Amen.
