Clean is Clean - Doubting the cleansing power of Jesus
Acts • Sermon • Submitted
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· 10 viewsBecause God in Christ cleanses all sin for all who believe in Him, we must not treat as dirty what God Himself has cleansed. (Three blind spots for the church)
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Introduction: What is clean? What seems clean isn’t always clean. Need someone who knows what they’re doing! (God knows what He’s doing - Psalm 51:2,7) - Careful, that we don’t doubt His work, relying on our own preferences, prejudices and fears.
Pray: (That we may trust in Christ’s cleansing work for others and ourselves and that He may meet us in our weakness with His truth and grace.)
Read: Acts 10:15-16, 28, 34-35, 43
Because God in Christ cleanses all sin for all who believe in Him, we must not treat as dirty what God Himself has cleansed. (Three blind spots for the church)
Treating "them” as unclean
Treating "them” as unclean
We might assume God won’t or can’t cleanse some
Peter considered Gentiles unclean
Peter was a Jew - the chosen, set apart people of God (People of truth, of the faith)
Because of set-apart-ness he had forgotten that God also desired the salvation of the Gentiles. He thought they were outside of God’s view. This was not so .
“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.
Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
In our passage:
God noticed Cornelius (v.1-8)
Revealed to Peter that he was to receive these Gentiles (vision - vv.9-16, Spirit’s message in vv.19-20)
Peter understood completely what God was telling him (vv.28, 34-35), even as he called them to believe on Jesus (v.43)
God demonstrated the reality that there is no one outside of His redeeming view and power if they will but believe on Him (vv.44-48). Indeed the Gospel is for all and we must not think anyone outside of God’s reach.
Peter would struggle with this in the future, refusing at times to eat with Gentiles and bringing the rebuke of Paul (Galatians 2:11-21)
So could we.
Who do we think God won’t cleanse? Who do we think He can’t?
We may not think it out loud, may never say it in these words, but in our hearts, because of prejudice towards others or doubt in God’s ability or will, we consider them out of reach of the gospel.
The gospel flies in the face of that - breaking down barriers and unifying where there was distinction. If God makes no distinction, neither must we! Gospel to all! Acceptance for all who believe!
Who are the people that most grate on our nerves? Those we can’t stand? Is it a person, a personality type, some ethnicity or nationality? (Christ died for all)
Pray, asking God to cleanse you of any prejudice and that He may enable you to glorify Him in your love for others.
Seek healing from deep wounds that may have caused such feelings and thoughts towards others.
Friend, is there someone in your life who seems so far from God’s ability to save? Don’t despair. God ran to Cornelius. He sent Philip to the Ethiopian. He met Paul on the Road to Damascus. He can save anyone.
Neither circumstances, or mindset, or consuming behavior are barriers that God cannot overcome.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
If God can save a gentile soldier, He can save ___________.
Examples
Matthew (Levi) - White collar criminal and betrayer of his own people
John Stroup - Dope dealer and criminal, spent years in prison, homeless, poor, uneducated and now leading an international ministry of spreading the gospel to those who are just like he was!
You! Me! Sinners washed and cleansed by the work of Christ alone! The difference? Internal heart change!
John 3:16, Acts 10:43 (everyone who believes on His name!)
Clean is clean. Let’s not doubt God’s ability to cleanse any person or any type through the power of the Gospel of Jesus.
Treating customs other than ours as unclean
Treating customs other than ours as unclean
We think our way is the best or only right way - Traditions don’t make people clean, Christ does. Are our traditions and practices pointing to Him?
What was the custom keeping Peter from sharing the gospel with Cornelius? (Dietary law).
Still needed? (Ex. Drivers permit after getting license). Definitely not for the gentiles.
They were commands for the Jews, but God was showing Peter that now that the substance had come, the shadow was not to be allowed to stand in the way of the Gospel!
We don’t have to worry about that, do we?
Ex. Ketchup or Mayo on Bologna sandwich?
We have customs and traditions, a culture that is particular to us. It is part of who we are and that familiarity becomes comfortable.
Too often churches use such comfortable customs and preferences as litmus tests to see if others are “one of us” or not. We use them as law and judge others by them when God doesn’t.
Example:
“Short pants” - modesty as a principle is important, but has Christ said not to wear shorts?
“Get rid of your non-Christian music” - sure, we must cultivate our hearts and like food, ensure we are feeding our souls on good things, but be careful!
Sabbath meal - wonderful way to point to Jesus, but unfortunately could be used as law to condemn others falsely
We have to spend time and energy ensuring that these customs are 1) rooted in the scripture as pleasing to God, and 2) are pointing us and others to the Cleanser of Souls and not keeping people out.
Law, the temple the sacrifices were a shadow that pointed to Jesus.
Creeds and statements of faith, denomination - used to point people to truth
Use of small groups - used to bring people into relationship with us and Christ!
Bible translation - to better understand the truth
Not a litmus test of faith, but tools to grow in faith.
What are you proud about for our church? Use of small groups? Outreach efforts? Non-denominationalism? Be careful that we aren’t assuming our customs are clean where others aren’t! Let’s boast in Christ. Let’s build customs and culture around Him and be willing to weight our practices and preferences against what the Bible says.
Different churches look different. The gentile church looked different than the Jewish church. Indian church looks different than the American. Most black churches look and feel different than white churches. All are one in Christ. All will be unified in Him for eternity! Your customs will be changed! Christ is forever!
Don’t call unclean what God has cleansed! Clean in Christ is clean indeed!
Treating ourselves as unclean
Treating ourselves as unclean
Christ cleanses the heart. But what about the reality of sin in our hearts?
Do we believe, truly believe what Peter said in v.43? Are you forgiven?
It is possible to look clean on the outside, and yet be unclean
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.
Pharisee types don’t doubt their salvation but take it for granted based on their ability to perform.
Salvation is not based on our ability to perform, but Christ’s work on the cross.
Our standing is not according to our work, but His
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
Our ability to remain with Him is not a matter of our strength but His
For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
Have you believed on Jesus Christ?
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
Have you a sense of His Spirit within you? Convicting you? Teaching you?
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
Jesus died for your sin. Believe that. Turn from sin, run to Him and receive the gift of His cleansing work by faith!
Believer, if you are struggling to believe it, don’t give up. Don’t lose heart. He is with you and His mercy is everlasting. He is and will work in you. You are being sanctified and He will NOT let you go.
I want you to hear these truths:
Psalm 103:12
Isaiah 38:17
Isaiah 43:25
Micah 7:18-19
Romans 8:1
Clean is clean. Don’t call unclean what He has called clean.