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Daily Devotions

Ephesians

Ephesians 
Day 
Day 141

"That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel."

Text: Ephesians 3:6

A TRUTH THAT TOOK TIME TO UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT

The early Jewish believers grappled with the thought of Gentiles receiving salvation from God. The leading apostle Peter himself struggled with the idea of ministering the Word of God to Gentiles. It took a direct command from the Spirit of God to Peter to move him to share the Gospel with a Gentile centurion named Cornelius (Cf. Acts 10).

Finally truth dawned on Peter. He finally comprehended what God was seeking to communicate to him.

Then Peter opened his mouth and said:
‘In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.
But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness
is accepted by Him…’
ACTS 10:34-35

These were the opening words Peter uttered as he brought the Gospel message to Cornelius who had gathered his family and friends together to hear the preaching of God’s word.

“No partiality”

This was a vital statement Peter made. For the longest time, the Jews thought that God was only in favour of them. This was a major paradigm shift for the apostle Peter.

“In every nation whoever fears Him”

Peter’s thought now included the Gentiles. The phrase must include both Jews and Gentiles. It cannot refer only to the Jews living in every nation.

“Accepted by Him”

Those who truly fear God and practice righteousness were “accepted by Him”. There is no question at all, that Gentiles were in full view in this text.

A SPECIAL ACT OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD

To confirm that the Gentiles were indeed fully accepted by God, and that they were included in His plan of salvation, the Holy Spirit fell upon the believers in the home of Cornelius.

While Peter was still speaking these words,
the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished,
as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit
had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
ACTS 10:44-45

The Jewish believers, called “those of the circumcision” were astonished. They could not comprehend that the Gentile believers could actually be given the same “gift of the Holy Spirit”. There was the same unmistakable outpouring of the Spirit of God on the Gentiles!

God knew how hard it was for the Jewish Christians to fully accept the Gentiles as being on par with them. The outpouring of the Spirit of God upon the first Gentile believers would go a long way to help establish an important truth- Gentiles now had the same gift of God’s Spirit!