He said to them: “You are well aware that is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.” Acts 10:28
Society has often divided itself into different segments in which each does not mix with the other. Some common divisions are the extremely wealthy don’t mix with the extreme poor, or the prim and proper don’t mix with the drug-addict criminal.
This is often done to keep up appearances or to keep from being affected by the lower classes of society.
Peter, a Jew, was called to visit with Cornelius, a Gentile. As Peter meets with them he lets them know that it is normally against the Jewish law for them to meet, but that God has told him that no person is unclean to the point of not being able to meet with them at all.
In the same way that the society has different classes that don’t often mix, the church acts in the same way with others, both inside and outside the church.
There are many believers who will not associate with believers of a different denomination, believing the others are sinners being condemned to hell for their beliefs. Along with avoiding other believers, they refuse to go around and visit with non-believers for fear of being contaminated with sin.
Acting in this way does not give people a chance to believe in or even hear the truth about Jesus. It writes them off before they can hear about Jesus.
When Jesus walked on the earth, He met with anyone and everyone, regardless of status or ethnicity. As the church began to grow, the apostles learned to do the same.
Every believer needs to meet with the unbeliever to give him a chance to believe in Jesus.
There are people in your life who are of a different social status or belief than you. Each one needs a chance to hear the gospel message. God will open doors for you to meet with these people, so that you can tell them about what Jesus has done for them.
Do not allow yourself to be like the Jewish people and refuse to meet with them out of fear of being contaminated. Go in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit and bring the gospel message of salvation to them. Without it, they are dying.
Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Savior; that God will give you boldness to be His witness; that you will tell everyone you meet about Jesus; that you will give every person a chance to accept or reject Jesus; and that God’s kingdom will be built up through you.
Its not even a case of believers and non-believers this days, its a case even among believers itself. One church against the other even when we all worship and believe in the one true God. Don’t know what the world has come to.
A very sad but true statement about people in the church. Jesus did say that things would continue to get worse until the day He returns.
Seems like the end is getting closer day by day.