The excuse of the Holy Spirit
Acts 11:1-18
A first-term female lawmaker, a Ph.D. in economics at Columbia University, explained in detail her life without raising her voice with fear and trembling as she thought the other party would never listen to her story. She had to explain her life in specific, without criticizing the other party. I think it was the excuse of the Holy Spirit to persuade us as if we did QT. Lets learn about the excuse the Holy Spirits.
First, Its when facing their brothers criticism.
At that time, among the Jews, the whole church had to solve the case of the Gentiles repentance with keen interest. But rather than rejoicing at the news of the repentance, a public meeting was held to determine why they shared food with those who were not circumcised.
Furthermore, it could have provoked fear regarding the uncircumcised and untranslated gentiles coming to church. Diacrino, the prototype of the word criticized, is a word that means classify, separate.
In chapter 10, the same word was used to mean 'dont doubt, dont discriminate.' On the other hand, it has the meaning of 'to separate yourself from the other person' with a hostile mind and ' these people criticize continuously and persistently.' in the second verse.
Looking at this word, the anti-discrimination law seems to be a law not to discriminate on the surface. But I think it means that discriminating against homosexuals will eventually lead to discrimination.
Taking a look at the text, which shows that the Jewish Christians were trying to distinguish whats right and wrong rather than rejoicing with the fact that the Gentiles had received the Holy Spirit and came back, I thought that even if homosexuals return to the Lord, it would be difficult for them to rejoice in themselves.
Except for the results of the legalization of anti-discrimination laws, everything is criticized. Peter desperately needed his colleagues comfort but his colleagues began to criticize him. I have no choice but to keep looking at the Bible and the subject of life, prejudice.
In other words, Peter became an outcast. So Jesus made him see His cross and resurrection to be well prepared to deal with it. We must live a religious life, fully predicting the opposition of other holy ones.
Second, explain kindly in turn
Peter also understands because he also really didnt want to go to Corneliuss house. You can only explain what you have suffered, while those who havent cant. If the Holy Spirits baptism does not take place, all of us wont understand. But with the Holy Spirit, every single thing in our lives will make sense.
But when our kindness comes from Gods righteousness, we will have the power to melt other peoples hearts. Peter kindly and with candid testify his life in turn while facing unfortunate criticisms. This is the excuse of the Holy Spirit. It means Peter also had the same values with circumcision party.
Peter, who did not want to go to that house so bad although the heavens broke into two pieces, was persuaded by God. And it was when he also realized his duty of persuading them. The difference between being clean and dirty is whether God touched it or not. While Peter was meditating on the reason God asked him to eat, 3 gentiles whom the Holy Spirit sent came. Its the Holy Spirit who commands us, so we just listen to it. This is the application of the His word.
Peter and Cornelius met only through the history of the Holy Spirit. There was no room for containing human thoughts . At the church, they reported that even the Gentiles who feared God like Cornelius need words to be saved.
The Holy Spirit says there is no difference between the Holy Spirit that came to Peter and the one that Cornelius family received. From Chapter 10, I felt from a confession of Peter with Cornelius that Peter really hadnt showed off himself. Peter, Stephen, and Paul preached constantly about the Jesus who died on the cross without any superfluousness
Third, it worked because there was no one to stop God.
'I cant stop the history of the Holy Spirit. I am nothing before God' Peter said so after his confession. He humbly made the Holy Spirits excuse, then people accepted it.
When he humbly revealed his shame and testified that he wanted them to hear his excuses, people changed and this 18th verse became the beginning of the foreign mission in the coming generation. Such a blocked mission to the Gentiles broke the bank with the application of Peter.
Even though I always seem to be in the same place, mankind has been blessed by the obedience of Peter, just as Jesus saved many people by the obedience. I believe that you, the church, Mokjang, and the country will be blessed by one of your obedience who breaks the wall. It works all the same for the regional sentiment, camp logic and anti-discrimination laws. Our church must break this.
There are many couples who fight hard. A small group leader couple and a Pyungwon visited a household where both of husband and wife thought their spouse would never change. It turned out that they hadnt known each other so much, for not communicating and having different thoughts for 8 years though. The same problem was repeated because they said 'you didnt change at all without any application' to each other.
So they were given certain specific and small applications as homework. There were 2 things that the wife wanted from her husband, which were to get dressed at home and go out for hours a day. Besides, the husband wanted to hear such a word as, 'Its hard, isnt it? Ill cheer you on.' when he was having a hard time.
This week, in the text of QT, the Lord sent a savior to Jehoahaz when he was asking the Lord to save him from Aram. The Lord sent a savior to this couple through the community and the whole church clung to them, delivering words.
We have to ask each other what they want by applying in this specific way. I pray that all our excuses for telling our wrongs will become those excuses of the Holy Spirit like Peters, and that all the problems will be solved.
