Grace That Is Greater

Background
In Acts 10, we find Peter standing at a critical crossroads—not just for himself, but for the future of the Church. Up to this point, the message of Jesus was largely shared within Jewish circles. Even after the Day of Pentecost, when thousands were filled with the Holy Spirit, the assumption was simple: the gospel is for the Jews first. The idea that salvation could extend freely to Gentiles—the outsiders, the enemies—was unthinkable.

Acts 10:9–16 captures a divine interruption in Peter’s life. As Peter goes up to the rooftop to pray, he falls into a trance. He sees a vision of a sheet descending from heaven, filled with all kinds of animals—many considered "unclean" according to Jewish law. A voice tells him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." (Acts 10:13). Understandably, Peter resists. Eating what was forbidden would make him ceremonially impure. But the voice insists:

 “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” (Acts 10:15).

Peter’s initial confusion is understandable. For his entire life, he had been taught to see the world through a strict lens of clean versus unclean, insider versus outsider, holy versus profane. But God was showing him something far bigger: this wasn’t really about food—it was about people. While Peter is still trying to grasp the vision’s meaning, messengers from Cornelius, a Roman centurion and a devout Gentile, arrive at his door. Cornelius had also been visited by an angel, instructed to send for Peter so he could hear the gospel. The timing is no accident. The vision was God's way of preparing Peter’s heart for a reality-shaking truth:

the dividing lines that humans had drawn were being erased by the blood of Jesus.


GRACE KNOWS NO BOUND
When Peter enters Cornelius’s house—a massive cultural and religious no-no—he begins to understand. He says, “God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” (Acts 10:28). And as he shares the message of Jesus, the Holy Spirit falls on Cornelius and his entire household, just as it had fallen on Jewish believers at Pentecost. In that moment, Peter witnesses something earth-shattering:
 
God's grace is greater than ethnicity, culture, history, and human prejudice.

The covenant was never meant to be for one people group alone—it was always intended to reach the nations. But Peter’s journey didn’t end there. Fast forward to Galatians 2:11–16, and we find a different scene. Peter, now a leader in the early church, had been freely fellowshipping with Gentile believers. But when certain Jewish Christians ("those of the circumcision") arrived, Peter withdrew and separated himself out of fear. His actions sent a terrible message—that Gentiles were second-class Christians unless they adopted Jewish customs.

Paul saw the danger immediately. This wasn’t just a personal failure; it was a public compromise of the gospel itself. Paul confronted Peter to his face, reminding him and everyone else that justification comes by faith in Christ, not by works of the law (Galatians 2:16). The connection between Acts 10 and Galatians 2 is profound:  Peter knew, by revelation and experience, that God's grace included Gentiles. He had seen it with Cornelius. Yet under pressure, he defaulted back into old patterns of fear and exclusion. Even the apostle Peter needed continual reminders that grace doesn’t play favorites. And so do we. God’s grace keeps stretching our hearts wider than we think they can go. It challenges our assumptions, breaks our biases, and calls us into a life that reflects the radical, inclusive love of Jesus.


WHEN GRACE GETS PERSONAL
Let’s be honest—most of us have people we quietly (or not so quietly) think are beyond God’s reach. Maybe it’s the loud coworker who scoffs at faith. The friend who hurt us. The neighbor whose life looks like chaos. Yet Peter’s journey shows that grace is greater than our assumptions. God’s mercy stretched Peter’s imagination and heart wider than he thought possible. And it will stretch ours too—if we let it.

Peter’s rooftop vision challenged the categories he had built his entire life around. Salvation wasn’t about ethnicity. It wasn’t about being clean or unclean by cultural standards. It was about being made new by the Spirit of God. Today, the Church is called to carry that same radical grace. Not just proclaim it, but live it—across racial divides, across political lines, across the messy realities of human differences. The gospel is the most inclusive, world-changing news ever told:

 In Jesus, there are no second-class citizens.


BREAKING THE CYCLE
Peter’s story reminds us: growth in grace is not a straight line. Even after powerful experiences, we can fall back into old ways of thinking. Peter went from preaching at Cornelius’s house to shrinking back in Antioch when peer pressure set in. His fear revealed that while prejudice had been confronted, it had not been fully uprooted. And that’s the hard truth for all of us:  Sin—especially sins like pride, favoritism, and prejudice—can be persistent.  They are weeds that must be continually pulled up through the power of the Spirit. Have you ever thought you had dealt with an attitude, only to realize it was still clinging quietly to your heart? Maybe through a moment of judgment, a flash of fear, a withheld kindness? That’s why we need community, accountability, and above all, grace.
 Not just grace for others—but grace for ourselves to grow, to repent, and to keep moving forward.


REMEMBER
God’s grace doesn’t just reach the outsider—it transforms the insider. Grace is not just a hand extended outward; it’s a heart reshaped inward. It teaches us that every person is someone Christ died for, not someone we should fear, avoid, or exclude. It challenges our assumptions, stretches our compassion, and calls us into a bigger, more beautiful story than the ones we would write for ourselves. We live in a world that constantly draws dividing lines. But the kingdom of God erases them. Every time you see someone society has labeled "other," "less than," or "unreachable," remember:

God's grace already sees them as "chosen," "beloved," and "worth dying for."

Every time you feel tempted to pull away from someone different, let grace pull you closer.
Every time you doubt whether God's love can reach someone—or even reach you—remember the rooftop, the vision, the house of Cornelius, the confrontation in Antioch, and the faithful, patient heart of God who keeps calling us deeper. You are part of a global, diverse, Spirit-filled family. And every time you choose grace over fear, unity over division, and love over prejudice—you reveal a glimpse of heaven here on earth. So stand boldly in the grace you've received. Walk humbly in the love that transformed you. And offer freely the mercy that saved you. This is our calling. This is the gospel. This is the heart of our Savior. Of a truth, God shows no partiality—and neither should we. (Acts 10:34)


Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for grace that reaches further than I can imagine. Thank You that You do not show partiality, and that Your love is wide enough to embrace all people. Forgive me for the ways I have clung to comfort, fear, or prejudice instead of stepping boldly into the wideness of Your mercy. Reveal the blind spots in my heart.

Root out the subtle attitudes that do not reflect Your kingdom. Fill me with Your Spirit, so I can love others the way You have loved me. Teach me to see every soul through the lens of the cross—worthy, wanted, and welcomed. May my life echo Peter’s realization: that Your grace is truly for all. In the name of Jesus, amen.