A Door Opened to Us

[Act 14:27 KJV] "27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles."

I am thankful that God opened the door of faith to me by letting me hear the Gospel. Not just a belief system but a saving faith that only God can produce. If you read Acts chapters 10-14, you will see a major change in the religious system of that day. You will see the Gospel being preached to the Gentiles. This made the Jewish Christians uncomfortable (see Acts 11:1-2). The brethren and apostles of Christianity questioned it. Peter in chapter 11, “rehearsed” the works of God that he witnessed in chapter 10. What were those works? We see the story of the great sheet that descended down from heaven. At first, Peter did not understand what this meant, but as the pondered on what he had seen, the Lord started to reveal it to him. He would open door of faith to Gentiles.

[Act 10:11-13 KJV] "11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: 12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat."

The way God opened the door was truly amazing. He did it through a Roman officer, Cornelius, a centurion. Not only was he a Gentile but he was a Roman. This would really make the religious crowd at that time jealous. If you read chapter 10, you will see how that God, through His angels, not only spoke to Cornelius for him to send for Peter, but also spoke to Peter, and led him to the house of Cornelius.

One thing you must know is that Peter was born a Jew, so without God speaking and sending him, I am sure he would not have gone and preached to this man. But when God opens a door, no man can shut it. So now in Acts 10:28, you see that Peter understands the meaning of the sheet and what God was showing him.

[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."

So, a crowd was gathered together to hear Peter preach and the first thing he said was, “I perceive that God is no respecter of person” (Acts 10:34). What gracious words these are. I don’t have to be a Jew for God to talk to me. God has now opened the door through Christ, not only for Jews but people of any nation. He stresses “all people” can now know Him. Thank you, God! It is only based on the mercy of God that He has opened the door of faith for us. Paul describes this as the “sure mercies of David” in Acts 11. Christ is the fulfilment of the Old Testament types and shadows. Unlike David, He will see no corruption.

[Act 13:36-39 KJV] "36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: 37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. 38 Be it known unto you therefore, men [and] brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."

God has turned to the Gentiles, people of any nation and people groups. In Acts 11, we see that since the Jews rejected the Gospel, God turned to the Gentiles. They gladly received it when they heard the gospel. To them, it was undeserved, unmerited, and purely by grace, that the door was opened to them.

[Act 13:46-47 KJV] 46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, [saying], I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth."

We are still living in days of grace. God is still sending His gospel ministers out to preach the gospel. The door is open because there are still words being preached. Those who reject it will be unworthy of eternal life. Those who are worthy are those who don’t deserve it, who will humble themselves, repent, and come to Christ to be saved. What will you do with the gospel? God is calling His sheep and looking for those who are hungry and thirsty.

[Jhn 7:37-38 KJV] "37 In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."

Pastor Joel Clayton