Salvation teaching and study featuring Acts chapters 10 and 11

            These two chapters in Acts deal with the story of Peter getting a vision and eventually going to Cornelius, a gentile, who does get saved, baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. The other Christians (who were formerly Jews) question Peter of this but then celebrate the fact that the gift of salvation is open now to the gentiles as well as the Jews. Most of them had been witnessing only to Jews before. Here are these two chapters.

(Acts 10:1)  Now there was a certain man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,

(Acts 10:2)  a devout man, and one that feared God, together with all his household, who often gave alms to the people, and making petition to God always.

(Acts 10:3)  About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming to him and saying to him, "Cornelius!"

(Acts 10:4)  And looking intently at him and becoming fearful he said, "What is it, lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.

(Acts 10:5)  Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.

(Acts 10:6)  He is staying as a guest with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is beside the sea."

(Acts 10:7)  Now when the angel who had been speaking to Cornelius had departed, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually.

(Acts 10:8)  And explaining to them everything, he sent them to Joppa.

(Acts 10:9)  Now on the next day, as they were traveling and drawing near to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, at about the sixth hour.

(Acts 10:10)  And he became hungry and wanted to eat; but while they were preparing, a trance fell on him.

(Acts 10:11)  And he saw heaven having been opened, and descending to him a certain vessel like a great sheet, having been bound at the four corners, and being let down upon the ground,

(Acts 10:12)  in which were all the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild animals, and the reptiles, and the birds of the heaven.

(Acts 10:13)  And there came a voice to him, "Arise, Peter; kill and eat."

(Acts 10:14)  But Peter said, "Not at all, Lord! For never did I eat anything common or unclean."

(Acts 10:15)  And a voice spoke again the second time to him, "That which God has made clean, you must not make common."

(Acts 10:16)  And this happened three times, and again the vessel was taken up into heaven.

(Acts 10:17)  Now as Peter was very perplexed within himself as to what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius, having found by inquiry the house of Simon, stood at the gateway.

(Acts 10:18)  And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there.

(Acts 10:19)  Now while Peter pondered about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, men are seeking you.

(Acts 10:20)  Arise therefore, go down and go with them, with no wavering; for I have sent them."

(Acts 10:21)  And Peter, going down to the men, said, "Behold, I am he whom you seek. What is the reason for which you are here?"

(Acts 10:22)  And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and fearing God, having a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was given a revelation by a holy angel to send for you to his house, and to hear words from you."

(Acts 10:23)  Therefore he invited them in and received them as guests. Now on the next day Peter went forth with them, and some brothers from Joppa went with him.

(Acts 10:24)  And on the next day they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his relatives and close friends.

(Acts 10:25)  Now when it happened that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshipped him.

(Acts 10:26)  But Peter raised him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man."

(Acts 10:27)  And talking with him he went in, and found many having gathered,

(Acts 10:28)  and he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to associate with or to approach a Gentile; and yet God has shown to me that I should call no man common or unclean;

(Acts 10:29)  therefore also without objecting, I came when I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?"

(Acts 10:30)  So Cornelius said, "From the fourth day until this hour I was fasting, and at the ninth hour I was praying in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in shining clothing,

(Acts 10:31)  and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered before God.

(Acts 10:32)  Send therefore to Joppa and summon Simon, whose surname is Peter. He is staying as a guest in the house of Simon, a tanner, beside the sea. Who arriving, will speak to you.'

(Acts 10:33)  "Therefore immediately I sent to you, and you have done well to come. Now then we are all present before God, to hear all the things having been commanded you by God."

(Acts 10:34)  And Peter, opening his mouth, said: "In truth I comprehend that God is not One to show partiality.

(Acts 10:35)  But in every nation, he that fears Him and works righteousness is acceptable to Him.

(Acts 10:36)  The word which God sent to the sons of Israel, preaching the good news of peace through Jesus Christ--He being Lord of all--

(Acts 10:37)  you know, the word coming to be throughout all of Judea, and beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John proclaimed,

(Acts 10:38)  Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all those who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.

(Acts 10:39)  And we are witnesses of all things which He did, both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they also killed by hanging on a tree.

(Acts 10:40)  This Jesus God raised on the third day, and granted Him to become visible,

(Acts 10:41)  not to all the people, but to witnesses, who having been chosen beforehand by God, even to us, who ate together and drank together with Him after He arose from the dead.

(Acts 10:42)  And He commanded us to proclaim to the people, and to testify solemnly that He is the One having been appointed by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.

(Acts 10:43)  To Him all the prophets bear witness, that through His name, everyone believing in Him shall receive forgiveness of sins."

(Acts 10:44)  While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those hearing the word.

(Acts 10:45)  And those of the circumcision who believed were astounded, as many as had come with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

(Acts 10:46)  For they heard them speaking in tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter answered,

(Acts 10:47)  Surely no one can forbid water, can he, that these should not be baptized who received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"

(Acts 10:48)  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay for some days.

(Acts 11:1)  Now the apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that even the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

(Acts 11:2)  And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision were contending with him,

(Acts 11:3)  saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!"

(Acts 11:4)  But beginning, Peter was setting forth to them in order, saying,

(Acts 11:5)  "I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, a certain vessel coming down like a great sheet, being lowered by the four corners from heaven; and it came as far as me;

(Acts 11:6)  on which, looking intently, I was contemplating, and I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the reptiles, and birds of the heaven.

(Acts 11:7)  And I heard a voice saying to me, 'Arise, Peter; kill and eat.'

(Acts 11:8)  "But I said, 'By no means, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has ever entered into my mouth.'

(Acts 11:9)  "But the voice answered me a second time from heaven, 'What God has made clean, you must not make common.'

(Acts 11:10)  "And this was done three times, and again all things were drawn up into heaven.

(Acts 11:11)  And behold, immediately three men stood before the house in which I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me.

(Acts 11:12)  And the Spirit said to me to go with them, without wavering. Now these six brothers also went with me, and we entered into the house of the man.

(Acts 11:13)  And he related to us how he had seen the angel in his house, standing and saying to him, 'Send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter,

(Acts 11:14)  'who will speak words to you by which you and all your household shall be saved.'

(Acts 11:15)  "And when I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as also on us in the beginning.

(Acts 11:16)  And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'

(Acts 11:17)  "If then God has given to them the same gift as He gave to us, when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God?"

(Acts 11:18)  And hearing these things, they remained silent, and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted even to the Gentiles repentance unto life."

(Acts 11:19)  Then those who were scattered because of the tribulation coming about over Stephen, went about as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews only.

(Acts 11:20)  But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, entering into Antioch spoke to the Greek speaking Jews, preaching the good news of the Lord Jesus.

(Acts 11:21)  And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed, and turned to the Lord.

(Acts 11:22)  And the word about them was heard in the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent forth Barnabas to go as far as Antioch;

(Acts 11:23)  who, arriving and seeing the grace of God, was glad, and encouraged them all with purpose of heart to continue with the Lord,

(Acts 11:24)  for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a considerable crowd was added to the Lord.

(Acts 11:25)  And Barnabas went forth to Tarsus to seek out Saul,

(Acts 11:26)  and having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for a whole year they assembled with the church and instructed many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

(Acts 11:27)  Now in these days prophets went down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

(Acts 11:28)  And rising up, one of them named Agabus, foretold by the Spirit of a great famine about to happen in all the world, which also came to pass in the time of Claudius Caesar.

(Acts 11:29)  Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined as a ministry to send relief to the brothers dwelling in Judea;

(Acts 11:30)  which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

And being a gentile myself who is saved I am now going to add a salvation tract for all to share and to get saved with

Here is a salvation tract featuring verses from the epistles of 1 Timothy, Titus, Peter, and 1 John and other verses of the bible.

I am starting this tract though with the fact that all have fallen short of His glory in Romans chapter 3

(Romans 3:23)  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

(Romans 3:24)  and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

(Romans 3:25)  whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Also that we were slaves to sin and now, which we were slaves to sin and now we can be slaves to righteousness in Jesus, getting the free gift of eternal life in Jesus

(Romans 6:20)  For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

(Romans 6:21)  But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

(Romans 6:22)  But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

(Romans 6:23)  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord

Here the gospel of John reminds us that God sent Jesus into the world so all who believe have eternal life

(John 3:16)  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

(John 3:17)  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

The scriptures in 1 Timothy which encourage prayer and supplication for God wants all people to be saved as stated in these verses

(1 Timothy 2:1)  First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,

(1 Timothy 2:2)  for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

(1 Timothy 2:3)  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

(1 Timothy 2:4)  who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

(1 Timothy 2:5)  For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

(1 Timothy 2:6)  who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

The verses in Titus also stress and reinforce the message in Timothy, above, on salvation

(Titus 2:11)  For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,

(Titus 2:12)  training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

(Titus 2:13)  waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

(Titus 2:14)  who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

(Titus 2:15)  Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

These two verses in 1 Peter shed more light on this purpose of Jesus

(1 Peter 2:24)  He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

(1 Peter 2:25)  For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls

That message also is here in this 1 Peter 3 verse

(1 Peter 3:18)  For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit

And so does these two verses in 2 Peter 3 for time is nothing to the Lord and He wants all to come to repentance and is patient

(2 Peter 3:8)  But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

(2 Peter 3:9)  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

These two verses in 1 John 2 also state how Jesus was the propitiation for our sins and all mankind’s

(1 John 2:1)  My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

(1 John 2:2)  He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Also a very similar message is given in these two verses in 1 John chapter 4 how God loved us and sent Jesus to be a propitiation for our sins

(1 John 4:9)  In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

(1 John 4:10)  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

And here is this passage in 1 John 5 which reinforces the 1 Timothy passage well, stating the power of prayer but also the gospel message of how it is necessary to have the Son of God to have eternal life.

(1 John 5:5)  Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

(1 John 5:6)  This is he who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

(1 John 5:7)  For there are three that testify:

(1 John 5:8)  the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.

(1 John 5:9)  If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son.

(1 John 5:10)  Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.

(1 John 5:11)  And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

(1 John 5:12)  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

(1 John 5:13)  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

In John 14 Jesus then makes it very clear that nobody can come to God but by Him

(John 14:6)  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

But Jesus also makes it clear in Revelation that He indeed is seeking people always

(Revelation 3:20)  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

And here are some key verses in Romans 10 about Salvation:

(Romans 10:9)  because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

(Romans 10:10)  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

(Romans 10:11)  For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."

(Romans 10:12)  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.

(Romans 10:13)  For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Now those people are now a new creation in Christ

(2 Corinthians 5:17)  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come

And also at peace with God being justified by faith

(Romans 5:1)  Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Romans 5:2)  Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

These two verses promise no condemnation with those in Jesus

(Romans 8:1)  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

(Romans 8:2)  For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death

I am sure you have now seen enough now to be ready to pray to be saved. I am now including a short prayer that you can say to ensure that you are saved and have eternal life when you die, going to heaven to be with Jesus forever and not end up going to hell.

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness. I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin. You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess Jesus as our Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we will be saved. Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved. Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself. Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.

Amen.

God bless you and yours