What God has cleansed…

Peter was accused by fellow believers in Jerusalem when they said, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”  (Acts 11:3)  Peter defended his actions with the following explanation.

What Peter saw: I was staying in the city of Joppa, and I was praying.  In a trance I say a vision ~ a large object came down and it was like a great sheet lowered by its four corners from the sky – it came right down to me.  I fixed my eyes on it as seeing it held the four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts and crawling creatures and birds of the air. Things which are not lawful for Jewish people to eat.  Acts 11:5-6

What Peter heard: While I was looking at this strange mixture, I heard a voice saying to  me, ‘Get up Peter; kill and eat.’  I couldn’t believe what the Lord said to me!  I told Him, no way am I going to touch those disgusting things.  “for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth!” But the voice persisted and answered me a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.”  All this happened three times and then it was all drawn back up into the sky. 
Acts 11:7-10

  Peter had to rearrange his thinking, quickly!  He had been taught, all of his life, what was pleasing to God.  And now God was showing him a new way to think of Gentiles!   God has made it plain, that all people are acceptable to Him because of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, resurrection and ascension into heaven.  Jesus Christ (Messiah) suffered, sacrificed Himself and was resurrected so you and I can be made holy, clean and acceptable to the holy God of the Bible. 

(Amplified Bible) Acts 11:9 “… ‘What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, no longer consider common (unholy).’”

  As you and I read God’s words in the Holy Bible, that is God speaking to us.  How do you approach God through reading His words?  With “ho-hum, how boring”, or with anticipation?

~ Take it to heart ~

What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.
What God says is all important, we are to listen to Him!