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Who is eligible to be saved from their sins by God? Small children or the mentally challenged
are not. They cannot believe enough to be saved (Rom. 10:17). They also have no sins to
be forgiven (Matt. 19:14). But that leaves the rest of us who have sinned (Rom. 3:23).
Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ God has opened the door for all men to come into Christ's
Kingdom. "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will
come unto him, and make our abode with him" (John 14:23).
In Acts, chapters 10 and 11, the physician, Luke, records how God opened the gates of the kingdom of heaven to all men, including non-Jews or Gentiles. Jesus prophesied that someday the kingdom would be open to all men, whether they were descendents of Abraham or not (Matt. 8:11; Acts 1:8; Gal. 3:29). He accomplished this through the conversion of a good man; a man whom the world thought was righteous, the centurion Cornelius of Caesarea. But Cornelius lacked something. He wasn't saved from his sins. Today there are many that think they are good enough for Heaven. They claim to believe in God and His Son. By the world's standards they live good moral lives. They figure that they are just as good as those who attend worship services every Sunday. They may even feel they deserve Heaven because of their upstanding lives. But in their way stands the word of God and the example of Cornelius (Heb. 4:12-13). By all measures of success in the ancient world Cornelius was successful. As a centurion in the Roman army he commanded sixty or more men. He not only drilled the men as soldiers but also inspected their weapons, food, and clothing and commanded them in battle. Centurions were considered the backbone of the Roman Empire. He could have retired at the end of twenty years with a land grant and Roman citizenship. But Acts 10 shows us that Cornelius lacked something — salvation. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt. 16:26). God smiles upon those who are successful in life (Prov. 22:29). Yet God is the judge of true success. Many see success in worldly terms: money and influence. But that type of success can be a barrier to salvation. "And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through they eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (Matt.19:24). Are you successful with God or with men? Apparently Cornelius was a man who believed in and worshipped God. The Jews would have considered him a "proselyte of the gate" or an uncircumcised Gentile who followed the moral precepts of the Law of Moses. For a Roman to believe in one God would have been frowned upon by Roman society as unpatriotic and even atheistic. But they would find Cornelius praying to God at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. His upright character was evident to everyone. "And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews..." (Acts 10:22). But all that was not enough to save him from his sins. He did not know or believe in Jesus Christ. Many think their good morals and belief in God will save them. But belief is not enough. "Thou believest that there is one God, thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble" (Jas. 2:19). Apparently Cornelius had imparted his faith to his household: wife, children, relatives and servants (Acts 10:7). When the apostle Peter arrived in Caesarea he "had called together his kinsmen and near friends" (Acts 10:24). It was evident that he deeply loved and cared for his family. But this devotion could not save him from his sins. Love of family is a wonderful thing — a reflection of God's love for us (Ps. 103:13). Unfortunately, some place familial love above true love of God. "So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?" (John 21:15). The Scriptures reveal that he "gave much alms to the people" (Acts 10:2). He probably helped both Jew and Gentile among the poor. This showed a concern for the well being of others and a generous spirit. It was a reflection of his devotion to God (Prov. 13:7; Luke 12:33-34). He reminds us of another centurion whom Jesus praised (Luke 7:4-5). Yet his generosity did not save him from his sins. Quite a few people seem to think they will be saved by their generosity. They contribute large sums of money to charity. They do much good in their community. While meaning well and being beneficial, generosity does not save us. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). It is evident that he was a man of prayer (Acts 10:2, 30). This means he prayed regularly to God. Pious Jews often prayed three times to God each day. Considering that he was an army officer, he may have found it difficult to keep a regular time of prayer during the day. But Cornelius was a Gentile, still under the old patriarchal system of worship to God. Yet Cornelius was not saved by his prayers. This thought is foreign to many in the religious world. "Just ask Jesus into your heart as your personal saviour and you will be saved" is the common refrain. But they forget that obedience to the Gospel is required for salvation. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21). God responded to Cornelius' prayers by sending him a preacher. "...and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved" (Acts 11:13-14). Peter came and preached the Gospel to the group assembled. "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him" (Acts 10:34-35). In his commentary on the book of Acts, brother Wayne Jackson comments on the phrase "worketh righteousness". He claims it is not just one doing right but "one who throws himself energetically into a steadfast mode of obedience". In other words it is one who has obeyed the Gospel by:
When the Holy Spirit descended upon Cornelius and this group of Gentiles it was obvious to Peter and his Jewish brethren that they were candidates for baptism (Acts 10:45-48). It was not by prayer that Cornelius was saved but by coming into contact with the atoning blood of Christ (Gal. 3:26-27; Rom. 6:3). Peter left him in a different spiritual state than he had been in before. He had been saved from his sins. He was now truly "righteous" in God's sight (Acts 11:18). Are you good enough to meet God on the Judgment Day (2 Cor. 5:10)? "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away" (Isa.64:6). |