Word in Action: Read Acts 10
A few years ago I was offended by a fellow Christian. I believed that this person supported me and believed that this person loved me. However, this person abandoned me and others at the very time we needed her most. At the time I was angry and hurt and wanted to strike out. And, I will admit that in my own mind I attributed evil motivations to her behavior. However, one day in my time of devotions I read Acts 10, and it completely changed my perspective on my relationship with this friend and fellow Christians.
In this passage of Scripture Peter has a vision of a sheet being lowered in front of him and that on the sheet are unclean animals. In the vision, Peter hears a voice that says to kill and eat one of the unclean animals. Peter responds to the voice, saying, “No! I am a good Jew who has never eaten an unclean animal.” It may be difficult for some of us to understand how world changing this vision is for Peter. The Jewish people do not eat unclean animals because God through his conversations with Moses told the Jewish people not to eat unclean animals. There are several reasons for this, but for Peter the command to eat an unclean animal is shocking. For him to do this, would in Peter’s mind make him unclean. Peter and the other apostles often went to the Temple to pray even after Pentecost. However, if Peter ate an unclean animal this would make him unclean, and he would no longer be able to go to the Temple until he went through a ceremonial cleansing.
In the vision, Peter hears the voice say “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” Three times Peter sees this vision. Three times the voice tells him to kill and eat. Three times he refuses. And, each time the voice repeats, “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” Immediately after Peter wakes from his vision, servants from Cornelius arrived where he was staying. Cornelius as a Roman centurion would have been seen by Jews as an unclean person. But, God tells Peter to go to him and preach the Good News of Jesus. Peter realizes that the vision he saw was preparing him to go and preach to the “unclean”.
When I read those words, I recognized that in my hurt and in my anger I was declaring “unclean” someone who God had declared clean. Jesus died on the cross so that he could declare the unclean of this world, clean. And, as Christians we have repented of our sins and accepted that sacrifice for our cleansing. In that moment I recognized that to declare unclean what God has declared clean is sacrilegious. It attempts to destroy what God has built. It attempts to shame those God has redeemed. It belittles the sacrifice Jesus paid on the cross.
We as Christians have disagreements. We are even hurt by what Christians say or do to us. Paul tells the Corinthians that these divisions are necessary so “that those who are genuine among you may be recognized” (1 Corinthians 11:19). How do we respond with genuine Christian love in these times of disagreement? We must begin by recognizing that God has declared our fellow believers clean. And, even in the midst of disagreement we must see others as fellow adopted children of our Father in Heaven.
Is there a fellow Christian you have been declaring unclean? Are you struggling with a Christian who has offended you? Seek reconciliation by first recognizing that the one who gave his life so that you could stand blameless in front of the throne of God, has also declared that person blameless. Turn away from condemning your fellow believers and see them as God sees them.
