”And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the Word of God. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.” | Acts 11: 1-3

In Acts 11: 1-3 we see how they that were of the circumcision contended with Peter because he went in to uncircumcised Gentiles and ate meat forbidden in the law of God.

The Holy Spirit will not allow sin to have dominion over the believer because we are now under the gracious dominion of Christ. By God’s grace, through the truth of the gospel, he effectually causes us to rejoice in Christ and his perfect work on our behalf.

First, Peter Tells His Brethren What God the Holy Spirit Did In His Heart.

“But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying, I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me: Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat. But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven. And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me. And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house.” (Acts 11: 4-12)

Notice, Peter does not defend himself; that would have only caused more strife between him and his brethren. Nor does Peter argue with his brethren that he had not broken the law because that would have only continued to point his brethren to the law and aroused more contention. Peter declares before his brethren the work of God the Holy Spirit: the Voice of divine revelation from heaven, God’s command in his heart, the work of the Spirit of the LORD.

Secondly, Peter Declares That The Holy Spirit Prepared The Heart Of Cornelius And His Household The Same Way.

“And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.” (Acts 11: 13-14)

Peter declares that not only did the Lord prepare him to preach to the Gentiles but the Spirit also prepared Cornelius to gather his house and his friends to hear the gospel of Christ. See how Peter continues to point his brethren to the work of the Lord, away from their works of obdeience to the law.

Thirdly, Peter Declares How The Lord Baptized the Gentiles In the Holy Ghost. “And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 11: 15-16)

So when the Holy Ghost fell on Cornelius’ and his household, Peter realized this pointed back to what happened on the day of Pentecost. Thus Peter realized it meant God truly had an elect people scattered in the Gentile nations. These elect Gentiles were baptized into one Spirit because they too were bought with the blood of Christ.

All barriers were now taken away.

“For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” (Ephesians 2: 18)

“Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” (Colossians 3: 11)

So Peter declares that God did this. “Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?” (Acts 11: 17)

Fourthly, As Peter Rehearsed This Matter To Those Who Contended With Him, He Was In Fact Proclaiming The Gospel And The Spirit Wrought His Work In The Brethren To Whom Peter Spoke As Well. “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” (Acts 11: 18)

This work of God the Holy Spirit in turning Peter’s brethren from the captivity of sin in their flesh back to Christ. “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Roman 6: 14)

Concerning this verse John Gill wrote: “This is not a precept, exhortation, or admonition, as before, though some read it as such, “let not sin have dominion over you”; nor does it express merely what ought not to be, but what cannot, and shall not be; it is an absolute promise, that sin shall not have the dominion over believers; and respects not acts of sin, but the principle of sin; and means not its damning power, though that is took away, but its tyrannical, governing power: “it shall not lord it over you”, as the words may be rendered; for in regeneration, sin is dethroned; Christ enters as Lord, and continues to be so; saints are in another kingdom, the kingdom of Christ and grace.”

When Christ dwells in you by faith he fills your heart completely full with all the fullness of God. He makes you comprehend his love for you, (which surpasses anything you and I think we know about love) and thereby the Spirit of Christ strengthens your inner man, roots you and grounds you in Christ’s love for you. “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” (Ephesians 3: 16-19)

This revelation is in beholding what you are in Christ. This word “filled” in Ephesians 3: 19 is the same word as “complete” in Colossians 2: 10.

See what the believer is in Christ. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” (Colossians 2: 6-10)

When Christ enters your inner man, filling you with the fullness of God then you comprehend that Christ is the fullness of God, and in Christ before God, you are complete, as full with all the fullness of God as Christ is. That is why sin shall not have dominion over you. The Spirit reigns, Christ reigns, God reigns in the heart of the believer and will not let sin have dominion over you. The Spirit of Christ will not let you forget that you are not under the law, but under grace and complete in Christ.

In this text we see plainly how you and I will deal with one another if we turn from Christ to the law, we will lift ourselves in pride to such a height that we will sit in judgment over God, his saints, and his work; we will attempt to remove a twig from our brother’s eye when there is a whole tree in our own eye. “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4: 1-3)

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “God Keeps Judgment & Righteousness”

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Sovereign Grace Baptist Church Bulletin Article date: 9 October, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Ewing, New Jersey