Know Him First

Feb. 8
Leviticus 7 - 9; Acts 15

Acts 15:8 " God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them [Gentiles] by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us [Jews]."

Observation:
Paul reminds Jewish believers that God's plan was always to open His kingdom to anyone who would believe. Paul explains that Gentiles are totally acceptable to God, having received the same Holy Spirit as did the Jewish believers. Ironically, not only are Jewish laws and religious practices unnecessary for Gentile believers---  they are now unnecessary even for the Jews! Jesus was the once-for-all sacrifice for the forgiveness of  sin.

Application:
Salvation, which brings us a personal relationship with God, must come first. The desire to live a life which is pleasing to Him comes from the Holy Spirit, whom we receive the moment we surrender our lives to Jesus. We make a mistake in the church when we evaluate those far from God by their words, their appearance, and their actions. We should expect sinners to behave like sinners, until the Holy Spirit comes into their lives. They need to hear about God's love and forgiveness until they believe it. By the same token, we cannot assume a person is a believer simply because he or she "acts like one."  Each of us knows many "nice, loving, generous, caring" people who are far from God.

Prayer:
Father, I thank you that Your plan included me, a Gentile. Convict me today of the need to share my story with everyone I meet, regardless of where I think they may be in their relationship with you. Amen.