Scripture Focus: Acts 15:7-9 (NIV)
“...God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.”
Devotional Reflection:
The Jerusalem Council was a turning point in church history. Tension brewed between Jewish believers and Gentile converts over whether circumcision and the Mosaic Law were necessary for salvation. Peter’s response in Acts 15:7-9 offers a profound revelation: God sees the heart, not heritage.
He reminds the council that God had already accepted the Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit—just as He did to the Jews. This radical statement challenges centuries of tradition and breaks down the wall of separation between cultures. The Holy Spirit was not reserved for a select ethnic group; He is God’s gift to all who believe.
What purified the hearts of the Gentiles? Not ritual. Not law. Not tradition. Faith. This echoes Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:8–9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith...not by works.” God's grace is not based on our performance, our lineage, or our past. It is based solely on His love and the faith we place in Jesus Christ.
Today, this truth still liberates. You may feel unworthy or disqualified because of your background or failures. But God’s grace reaches to the ends of the earth, calling all people—regardless of nationality, past mistakes, or status—to faith in Christ. There are no outsiders in the Kingdom of God.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for looking at my heart and not my history. Help me to walk in the truth that Your grace is for everyone—including me. May I extend that same grace to others without bias or judgment. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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