Acts 11 Even the gentiles are granted repentance!
Acts 11:18 When they heard this they became silent. Then they glorified God saying, “So God has granted repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles!”
This is one of my favorite verses in Acts. I am a Gentile. God has granted repentance even to me!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to thank you for the gift of repentance. It was what allowed me to come in to your kingdom. As you show me things that you want to change in me, repentance helps me grow in your. Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of repentance — and when you correct me, help me to quickly hear and quickly obey. Amen.
This is also an eye-opening verse to me. it shows me the “Jewishness” of the church when it began. I knew that Jesus was Jewish, that the disciples were Jewish and that the first followers were Jewish. Yet, my early church life was made up of people like me: people of a gentile heritage. I did not meet my first Jewish believer until I was in my mid-20s.
The church is made up of both Jew and Gentile, the one new man. God always wanted it that way. Abraham’s seed was to be a blessing to the nations, and the nations were to bless Israel. A ‘mixed multitude’ walked out of Egypt with Moses, so at least some non-Jews were included. The lineage of Jesus includes Ruth, who lived in Moab, before she moved to Israel with Naomi.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for loving all people. Help me to be a blessing to those you would have me be a blessing to, both Jewish and gentile. Amen.
CC: K Carswell 2022
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by Permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
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