Value In All Men and The Lord's Law

May Your Week Be Blessed! While randomly reading scripture this morning, the author was led until he found Acts 10:01 - 11:18 (NIV). You can read these verse for yourselves by following the web-links. Yet, in those verses, we find more evidence that the Lord's view of whom might judge worthy of a life eternal extends beyond the scope of whom we might see as fit. Of course, most men would view themselves as being "acceptable in the Lord's sight", but we also quite commonly exclude others from being fully qualified for receiving His Grace or Mercy. This notion of we are "special" and those others are not "worthy" of our "specialness" is a highly seductive, albeit erroneous idea arising from the pride of life. It is the keystone in the arch of religious thought which says that we are excused from rebuke or retribution for our wrongs when others who lack our "specialness" must face the full fury of their sin's consequences. Please note verses:

[Act 10:28 KJV] 28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

[Act 11:18 KJV] 18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

Also, it should be mentioned that Peter's vision while in a trance has often been used in teaching that all foods are acceptable for consumption by someone who follows New Testament scripture. This is not the case. Never forget the Sermon on the Mount and the verses in Matthew 5:17-20. All foods are not clean. The issue in this scripture was simply eating among non-Hebrews, Gentiles. This act, in of itself, was considered "unclean". It was quite likely that the Gentiles who received Peter were considerate of his Hebrew diet when he was offered a meal. It would be quite surprising if they offered him foods which Hebrews found unclean, seeing that they were looking for acceptance among the Hebrew Christians.

May The Lord Continually Smile Upon You.