“What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” - What God calls unholy do not call holy.

Acts 10:1-23 (NASB) from the daily reading in the One Year Bible (link on links page)

Cornelius’s Vision

10 Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, ² a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. ³ About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” ⁴ And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. ⁵ Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; ⁶ he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.” ⁷ When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, ⁸ and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

⁹ On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. ¹⁰ But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; ¹¹ and he *saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, ¹² and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. ¹³ A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” ¹⁴ But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” ¹⁵ Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” ¹⁶ This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.

¹⁷ Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate; ¹⁸ and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. ¹⁹ While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. ²⁰ But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” ²¹ Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” ²² They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you.” ²³ So he invited them in and gave them lodging.

Peter at Caesarea

And on the next day he got up and went away with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

As I reflected on today's text I couldn't help but marvel at the lengths God will go to in order to accomplish His will. Back in Acts chapter 8, in the story of Philip and the Ethiopian, God first put Philip in the path of this one man for the purpose of a divine encounter, then we read:  When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.     God supernaturally moved Philip to another region so that he could continue to preach the gospel.  In today's text we see two men having visions, spiritual encounters with the heavenly realm, so that God could bring the two of them together for His purposes. In the same way God will go to any length and use any method, natural or supernatural to bring about His will for our lives. Still when God speaks we must listen and obey. If God moves us we need to continue in His path rather than following one of our own choosing.

Cornelius was a devout man. He was a Roman soldier. The text says he gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed continually to God. Being a Roman though Cornelius was somewhat of an outsider, a second class citizen in the Jewish people's eyes. God does not judge by outward appearance, neither does He discriminate according to natural heritage, afterall He is the creator and designer of each and every one. God judges the heart of people and in Cornelius He sees a man with a heart toward the things of heaven.  Additionally because of his military background, Cornelius recognizes authority and responds without question, carrying out the will and directions of God.  God doesn't call us for our talents and abilities. He equips us with all we need to fulfill His calling. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 it God says:   My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.      First and foremost, the ability that God wants and needs from us is availability. If we will respond in obedience to Him, He will do the rest for us and through us.

Peter was different than Cornelius. He loved and served the Lord wholeheartedly yet even in this account we still see Peter arguing with God. The text says:  he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; ¹¹ and he *saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, ¹² and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. ¹³ A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” ¹⁴ But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” ¹⁵ Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” ¹⁶ This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.  

There is something about Peter and things that come in threes. Three times Peter denied Jesus on the night He was betrayed. In John 21:15-17 Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him and affirms His call on Peter's life. 

 Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.” ¹⁶ He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” ¹⁷ He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep.  

Again in this account He repeats the message to Peter three times, affirming it's importance to him. God is not bound by time as we are. He is patient with us and continues to call and encourage us even when we argue and debate with Him. The shortest path to what is good and best for us though is always immediate obediance to God's voice and direction. 

The purpose of all that happened in tosay's text was for God to break down a religious mindset in Peter. Peter still held onto much of what had been taught and established in him through religious tradition and teaching. God wanted Peter to expand his thinking, to no longer see things from his old world view. While Jesus was sent originally to bring salvation to the Jewish people and that was the focus of His earthly ministry, He is the Savior, the Lord and King of every nation, tribe and tongue. He called his disciples to go beyond the nation of Israel when He said: " but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

“What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.”  That was the message to Peter in the vision he saw. It is also a message to us. Which one of us can truly say we have not walked past a dirty homeless person and while we may feel compassion, there is still an element of disdain and judgement. How many of us and how many of our churches would be excited and joyful if on a Sunday morning street people, prostitutes, drug dealers and users showed up? Would we welcome them or would we point out how unholy they are? Jesus says:  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”(Luke 5:32) They, those unholy sinners are no different than we were. Each one of us is unholy in our natural state. Our righteousness is only in and through Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:30 says:   by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,

Through Jesus Christ, God sanctifies, redeems and makes holy all those who respond to Him. Jesus does not sanctify, redeem or call holy, sin. Sin cannot be redeemed. Only sinners can be redeemed. In our society and in our churches today we tend to go from one extreme to the other. We either cast away and despise the sinner because of their sin, or we embrace the sin in order to accept the sinner. Isaiah 5:20 says: Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!  

Jesus came not to  call the righteous but sinners to repentance. God says:   call the righteous but sinners to repentance. He also says though not to call holy what He has called sin.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ my righteousness and precious Holy Spirit thank You for all You have done in my life. Thank You that You are patient with me. Give me a heart like Cornelius to respond immediately to Your call and direction for my life. Teach me, as You taught Peter, to see both people and things as You see them. Help me not to despise and call unholy the people You came to cleanse and make holy. But may I never call holy the things You have called unholy.       Amen.