January 10, 2008 - Acts 3:25b-26

“’He said to Abraham, “Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed. When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”’” Acts 3:25b-26.
Peter gives his audience a brief history lesson of God’s intentions for and through the Jewish nation. He explains that God told Abraham, the father of their faith, that He intended on blessing all the peoples and nations of the world through him, and that Jesus was the ultimate answer of that blessing. The opportunity was first given to the Jews to receive this Gift from God, but He was never intended to be for their own exclusive “salvation.” Even in the conversation with Abraham, it clearly appears that it was God’s intention to include all who turned from their “wicked ways” to believing in and following Jesus, His only Son.
The early church leaders, who were all Jewish, struggled with this. It took Paul, an ex-Pharisee and Jewish leader, to challenge Peter and the other disciples and church leaders to accept the non-Jewish, Greek followers of Jesus. And church history, down through the centuries, has been filled with similar exclusive-type actions. The Inquisition is perhaps the harshest, most extreme example of this attitude of exclusivity. Even today, the attitude is still alive and well in our world. Its appearance seems more like a country club, with its particular, and some times peculiar, rules for membership, than a life-giving, hope-fulfilling, growing organism.
On a personal level, I find that I fight within myself to be more accepting and inclusive of other people around me. I see this attitude within that judges others and designates some as being part of the “in” crowd – the “accepted” – and most others as being “out” and unacceptable. And I do not like this attitude and work to have it changed. It helps for me to remember that God is a God who desires that all people have the opportunity to respond to Him and to possibly turn to Him. He desires that all would be in His family, regardless of background, position or place in this life.
Questions to consider: What is your view of God? Is He exclusive or inclusive in nature? How does this affect your view of life and how you accept those around you?
Prayer: God, thank You that You are accepting of anyone who desires to find you and that You give life to anyone who seeks to walk in it. Help me to break free of my “country club” mentality and to be more accepting, as You were accepting of me. Amen.