What God has made clean, do not call common.
- Acts 10:15
We tend to build a fence between the secular and the sacred. No such distinction exists. We cannot say, "This is my spiritual life, and this is my regular life." For the believer, everything is spiritual.
In Acts 10 God shows Peter that his preconceived notions about what is spiritual and what is not need to go. Specifically, Peter has a vision of "unclean" animals - by Jewish dietary law - and God tells him to enjoy some bacon, rock-badger and lobster. (Ok that last part was my interpretation, but it's not far off; read Leviticus 11). Peter refuses, saying he has never eaten anything unclean. To which a voice from the sky responds, "What God has made clean, do not call common."
All this had little to do with Sunday brunch. The point was that the message of Good News was to be spread among those who were, religiously speaking, unclean… subpar… less than desirable. And in a rooftop vision with a sheet full of nasty animals, God made the point that no one is beyond the reach of grace. Neither is any person entitled to grace. If they were, it wouldn't be grace. Grace is given out of God's heart. An undeserved gift given to the unclean… the subpar… the less than desirable.
Us.
Grace infiltrates. It impacts and influences everything within. In the life of the believer, grace makes everything spiritual. Tuesday afternoon is no less a spiritual time than Sunday morning. Don't dare call the office, classroom, gym, etc. "common." God graces his children with his Spirit.
Where we go, he goes.
Even more, don't ever call another person "common." God's grace is extended to them. Even, even, more (does that work?), don't ever call yourself common. God's incredible grace has transformed you, is transforming you, and will transform you.
God, help me to see all things as spiritual.
For now...
D
In Acts 10 God shows Peter that his preconceived notions about what is spiritual and what is not need to go. Specifically, Peter has a vision of "unclean" animals - by Jewish dietary law - and God tells him to enjoy some bacon, rock-badger and lobster. (Ok that last part was my interpretation, but it's not far off; read Leviticus 11). Peter refuses, saying he has never eaten anything unclean. To which a voice from the sky responds, "What God has made clean, do not call common."
All this had little to do with Sunday brunch. The point was that the message of Good News was to be spread among those who were, religiously speaking, unclean… subpar… less than desirable. And in a rooftop vision with a sheet full of nasty animals, God made the point that no one is beyond the reach of grace. Neither is any person entitled to grace. If they were, it wouldn't be grace. Grace is given out of God's heart. An undeserved gift given to the unclean… the subpar… the less than desirable.
Us.
Grace infiltrates. It impacts and influences everything within. In the life of the believer, grace makes everything spiritual. Tuesday afternoon is no less a spiritual time than Sunday morning. Don't dare call the office, classroom, gym, etc. "common." God graces his children with his Spirit.
Where we go, he goes.
Even more, don't ever call another person "common." God's grace is extended to them. Even, even, more (does that work?), don't ever call yourself common. God's incredible grace has transformed you, is transforming you, and will transform you.
God, help me to see all things as spiritual.
For now...
D
