“So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.” (Acts 10:34-44)

There is a heretical book called the Gospel of Thomas that makes a claim that Jesus said no one can come to him unless they first become a male. Absurdity! It is a laughable claim, but it seems that the church lives by a similar assumption. Jesus did tell us in Matthew 28 to make disciples of all nations. All nations means all people – different races, ethnicity, languages, etc… but so often we like to clique-up into and create groups of people like ourselves. Case in point – the NAE (National Association of Evangelicals) and the NBEA (National Black Evangelical Association). There are some really sad stories around the creation of the “black” church in America.

The truth of the matter is that God always intended and desired to have a multicultural church. it was designed to be a unified body full of different and beautiful individuals, all saved by grace, through faith. This issue is brought to a head in Acts 10 with Peter’s dream and later witness saying that God knows no partiality, but will accept people from every nation. The ensuing conflicts in the early church were precisely that not all people wanted to accept everyone – or at least would only accept them if they changed things first (think of the Judaizers from Galatians).

Remember, the Holy Spirit falls on all those who believe – regardless of race, ethnicity or nationality. God’s expectation for all people is that they love Him and obey His commands. With that, He will welcome anyone. Can you honestly say that about yourself? Let me hear your stories of inclusion and reconciliation in the comments!