Salvation of Cornelius and His Family (Acts 10:34-48)

Salvation of Cornelius and His Family (Acts 10:34-48)

When you stop by a pet center to see or buy a dog or a cat. Then, you may see the phrase "Choose me!" attaching in front of each dog cage.
When you want to buy a puppy, what are your selection criteria?
You want to choose a puppy of a certain breed. Bulldog, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, or some other pure breed puppies.
You don't want puppies of mixed breed.
You want to choose a nice looking puppy.
You want to choose a well-trained puppy. Then, you will realize that a well-trained puppy is much more expensive.
So, even when you choose a puppy, you will become very picky.

You are now a Christian who accepted Jesus as your personal Savior.
Did you choose Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord and God as your Life-giver?
Or did Jesus choose you as his disciple or as his follower?
Didn't God choose you as His child?

According to the Bible, God chose you as His child before you chose Him as your Lord and Life-giver.
As any puppy does not have any right to choose its master or owner, you as a creature do not have any right to choose your master.

You think that you chose your God, your Savior.
But that is an illusion.
You think that you found your Lord Jesus Christ.
But, precisely speaking, your God reveals Himself to you by grace. So, you just know and cannot but confess that He is your God, your Creator and your Savior.

God chose Enoch as His friend and walked with him before He brought Enoch up to heaven.
God chose Noah when the world and people there became more wicked, and told him about His plan to destroy the world and people there with water.
God chose Abraham, and told him to leave his country, his people and his father's household to lead him and his family into the land of Canaan.
God chose Moses and called him up to the top of the Mt. Horeb to entrust him the leadership over the Israelites to bring them into the land glowing with milk and honey.
God chose David and made him a king of Israel.

What were God's criteria to choose his people--Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and others?
God chose a person of humble heart.
God chose a person of righteousness (Gen. 6:9).
God chose a person of obedience.
God chose a person of good listening.
God chose a person of piety.
God chose a person of prayers.
God chose a God-fearing person.

Today's passage tells us of the salvation of Cornelius and his family.
Cornelius lived at Caesarea, a northern part of Israel. He was a centurion who came from Rome. He was not a Jew but a Gentile.
Why did God choose Cornelius and his family as his children and save them?
Verse 2 tells us the reason: "He and his family were devout and God-fearing; He gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

One day, an angel of God appeared to Cornelius and told him: "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come upon as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying Simon the tanner, whose house is by the see."

So Cornelius sent men to Simon Peter who was staying at Joppa.
God also let Peter see a vision of impure and unclean animals, reptiles and birds while he was praying on the roof.
God's Spirit told Peter: "Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them."
Thus, Peter came to Cornelius' residence and spoke of the good news, salvation through Jesus.
At first, Peter was amazed how God led him to this house of a Gentile. Then, he realized that God does not show any favoritism and that God accepts men from every nation who fear God and do what is right.

Peter spoke of Jesus public ministry, his death and resurrection, and his command to his disciples to be his witnesses.
Yet, Peter was hesitating to baptize Cornelius and his family members with water as he never baptized any Gentile persons with water.
He was afraid of being rebuked by Jewish Christians.
At that time, almost all Jewish Christians were still thinking that only the Jews were chosen people and thus only they deserved to be saved by grace of God.

Peter was hesitating and hesitating.
Then, what happened?
The Holy Spirit powerfully came on all who heard the message of Peter.
Cornelius and his family were baptized by the Holy Spirit.
Yea, Cornelius and his family were born of the Spirit at that very moment.
They spoke in tongues and praised God.

Then, Peter, who was hesitating to give them the baptism of water, being afraid of the rebukes by the Jewish Christians who came along with him from Joppa, said:
"Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."
Then Peter ordered that they be baptized with water in the name of Jesus Christ.

Why did God choose Cornelius and his family and decide to save them?
It's because Cornelius was a person of prayer.
He was a man of generosity.
He and his family were devout and God-fearing persons.

Were you chosen by God?
What made God choose you?
You need to be  a person of prayer, humble heart, righteousness, piety, and generosity.
Above all, you need to desire the grace of God by which you are saved.