Have you ever had the chance to preach the gospel, but held back because you thought, “Hmm, I don’t know, this person seems awkward,” or even, “They look demonic to me”?

Today, my goal with this article is to demystify that mindset. Sometimes the Holy Spirit leads us to share the gospel with people we wouldn’t expect. They may not look or act like “church people,” but they might be doing exactly what God wants from them, just like Cornelius. We must open our hearts so the Holy Spirit can guide us. If God showed love to us, it’s our turn to show the same love to our neighbors. If we are truly grateful to Christ for our salvation, we should express that gratitude by leading others to Him.

If you enjoy this article, don’t forget to leave a comment below and check out another one: “Apostle Paul History: A God That Changes From Persecutor To Persecuted.”

1 – Cornelius, A Man Of God

Cornelius was a Roman centurion in the Italian Regiment, meaning he led 100 soldiers. He was a man of status and authority. Even though he worked for the Roman Empire, often viewed negatively because of their role in Jesus’ crucifixion, the Bible describes Cornelius as a devout man with a great reputation. He was generous and helped the Jewish poor.

However, there were two problems. First, Cornelius had not yet accepted Christ as his Savior. Even though he feared God like many Jews did, salvation only comes through Jesus. As Jesus Himself said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” So, when God sees someone who fears Him but doesn’t know Christ, He sends someone to preach the gospel.

The second issue was that, at that time, knowledge of Jesus was mostly within the Jewish community. And Jewish people saw Gentiles (non-Jews) as impure. So how could Cornelius ever hear the gospel if Jews avoided people like him?

2 – The Visions Of An Angel & The Animal Sheet

While Cornelius was praying one day, he had a vision of an angel who told him exactly what to do: send men to bring Peter to his house. The angel even told him where Peter was staying, at Simon the tanner’s house.

At the same time, Peter had a vision too. He saw a sheet coming down from heaven, filled with animals considered unclean by Jewish law. A voice said, “Kill and eat.” Peter responded, “I have never eaten anything unclean!” But the voice said, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

As Peter was trying to understand the meaning of the vision, Cornelius’ messengers arrived and told him about Cornelius’ vision. Peter realized the meaning, God was preparing him to preach to someone he previously would have considered unworthy.

3 – The Coming Of The Holy Spirit Upon Gentiles

When Peter arrived at Cornelius’ house, Cornelius explained why he had invited him. Peter then began preaching about Jesus Christ and the message of salvation.

Suddenly, the Holy Spirit came upon everyone in the house. Cornelius had invited his family and friends to hear the message, and they were all filled with the Spirit. Even the Jewish believers who had come with Peter were amazed. They had never imagined that Gentiles could receive the Holy Spirit.

Peter then baptized them with water, marking the first recorded group of Gentile believers filled with the Holy Spirit.

What amazes me is that, although the story centers on Cornelius, God also used him to bring others to Christ. We don’t even know their names, but we know their hearts were open, and that’s why the Holy Spirit came upon all of them.

Conclusion

Sometimes, we get too religious and miss what God is trying to do. We shut our hearts toward people we consider “impure.” But the Holy Spirit may be prompting us to share the gospel with someone we’ve already judged.

So today, I invite you to reflect. Who are you avoiding? Who have you judged as “too far gone”? Maybe that very person is waiting for you to be bold, just like Peter was. Don’t miss your opportunity to be part of their transformation.

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