Acts 11 Devotional

Repentance Is His Gift

“When they heard this, they had no further objections, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.””Acts 11:18 (BSB)

Back in Jerusalem, some believers take Peter to task for eating with uncircumcised men (11:2-3). Peter answers by telling what happened: the vision, the Spirit's instruction, and the Holy Spirit falling on Cornelius's household just as he had fallen on them at the beginning (11:4-15). If God gave them the same gift, he asks, who was he to stand in God's way (11:17)? His critics fall silent and praise God, concluding that God has given the Gentiles, too, the turning that leads to life (11:18).

Turning to God is not only something we do. It is something God gives. Paul writes the same way, speaking of God giving repentance even to those who oppose the truth (2 Timothy 2:25). In Antioch, the hand of the Lord is with ordinary believers who speak to Greeks, and many turn to him (11:21). When Barnabas arrives, he sees the grace of God and is glad (11:23). Grace often shows up where we least expect it, and we are invited to recognize it and rejoice.

To think about: Where have you seen God's grace at work in someone unexpected, and how could you encourage them this week?