I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him (Acts 10:34-35).
God works in all sorts of ways. He is especially fond of showing up in the ways we least expect!
At the dawn of the church, Jesus’ followers were thrust into a new season of God’s work. They had been faithful Jews who loved God’s scriptures only to end up walking with the Word Himself.
After Jesus’ work on earth was completed, the Holy Spirit came upon the church and began a new kind of ministry in their midst. It must have been a whirlwind to keep up with all God was doing!
First, Jews were being added to the church, but then believers came more and more from outside the Jewish community.
God had always included a few shining examples of Gentiles in the family of faith. But in the days of Acts, God broke with His usual patterns and sent invitations out everywhere to everyone. And they came in droves!
Just before Peter’s heart was opened to see how God was working to bring all people groups to Himself, a man named Cornelius said this:
Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining garments, and he said, "Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Therefore send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.” So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord (Acts 10:30-33).
What an awesome testimony! This Gentile man was reaching out for God, and God met Him. Because of his explanation, Peter realized how desperately people outside the Jewish community hungered for God, and he also clearly saw how God loved them.
Sometimes we are tempted to think that God only works among certain kinds of people, but Scripture has shown time and time again that no person is outside God’s reach or His love.
Especially since the New Covenant (also known as the New Testament) was given, God has been busy bringing in every different kind of people group there is.
God revealed the same truths to Paul as well as Peter. Paul wrote to the Romans saying:
But what does it say?“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”— that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as lord, and believe in your heart that god raised him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.” for there is no distinction between jew and Greek; for the same lord is lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on him; for “whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:8-13).
In John’s prophetic book, the Revelation of Jesus Christ, he writes:
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9-10).
God’s heart is clear on this matter — His people are from every corner of the globe. To be about the agenda of God means to have a heart for everyone.
So how can we grow our hearts to match our Lord’s?
Our church ladies’ group recently went through a series of videos and scriptures describing the theological differences and similarities of various religions and world views.
To me, this was a valuable investment of heart and effort. By seeking to understand where others are coming from, I am doing my best to be prepared to be available and ready for God’s work.
God might call you to prepare your heart and mind by learning a new language to share the gospel with a neighbor down the street.
Maybe you are also meant to study up on some of the various faiths or world views around you. Or God might call you to learn the latest social platform to connect with the younger generation to share God’s Word.
This is arguably our first priority. My husband is great at memorizing things. Not that he doesn’t have to put in work to do it, but it sticks with him. My whole life, I have wrestled with memorizing Scripture and often swapped the “little” words in a passage and the numbers of an address around.
If you struggle to remember God’s Word, don’t feel like this doesn’t extend to you. Yes, knowing God’s Word as close to the written passage is best, but having His Word in our hearts prepares us for all of life — especially sharing Him with others.
Cornelius invited Peter to come speak to his family. Paul learned the art of sharing the gospel and then watching God’s Word affect people, so he knew where to spend his teaching time.
While God calls us to reach all people, it doesn’t mean that all people are currently receptive to the gospel. I know missionaries that work for years to develop trust in a community.
And I know people who were ready to receive the gospel the first chance they got! God works among us differently, and we are wise to watch for His work to invite us into people’s lives.
I’m sure you have stories of people who needed to hear the gospel dozens of times before the light dawned on them.
And then there are some who need the love and prayers of a Christian friend or family member for some time before the soil of their heart has been prepared for the gospel. It is a unique task to be ready to share the gospel, to share it, and then to wait and see what God does.
I hope God opens your eyes to all the unique and varied people He has placed into your life and that He gives you His heart for them!
If you’d like a list of Scripture prayers to pray over those who have yet to receive Christ, email the ministry at info@motlministries.com
For further reading:
Who Were Gentiles in the Bible? Meaning and Examples
What Can We Learn from the Book of Acts?
What Do We Know about Cornelius the Centurion?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Vadym Pastukh
April Motl is a pastor’s wife, homeschool mom, and women’s ministry director. When she’s not waist-deep in the joys and jobs of motherhood, being a wife, and serving at church, she writes and teaches for women. You can find more encouraging resources from April at MotlMinistries.com and on Amazon.