Cornelius- A Religious Man (Acts 10)

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by

Robert Piña
in

Introduction:  In Acts chapter 10, the Lord reveals his intent to make his body of believers of Jew and Gentiles. Up to this point, the church was made up of only Jews.  At this point, God opened the door of NT salvation for the gentiles. Here we find that a Jewish man gets saved just like the gentiles without having to keep any of the trappings of the OT law. 

Regarding Cornelius: 

  1. He was Devout– Acts 10:2. Cornelius was a centurion, a Roman captain over 100 men. He was a devout man- meaning he was serious about religion and worship. He was a gentile man who worshipped the true God of heaven according to the knowledge he had. Paul the apostle was also a devout man who also needed a savior Philippians 3:4-9. People today are very devout attending church all the time, but may be lost. 
  1. He Feared God– Acts 10:2. This is a person that had turned away from pegan idolatry and worshiped the one true God of Israel. They attended synagogue, followed Jewish moral laws, but had not ye become full proselytes. “With all his house”- he led his home spiritually to fear God. 

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction”. Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. Fear is lacking today in many people. 

  1. He Gave Much Alms– Acts 10:2. Alms are anything given freely to assist the poor, such a money, food, clothing, also know as charity. There are so many charitable organizations today that give much but are not Christian or run by Christians. 
  1. He Prayed to God Always- Acts 10:2 His prayers were making it up to heaven Acts 10:4. Cornelius had caught God’s eye. Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that kncketh it shall be opened”. James 5:16 “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”. When you want to find God you will pray and ask God to send you the truth and He will. 
  1. He had a Good Report among the Jews– Acts 10:22. This man is trying his best to get to God by keeping the golden rule and doing what God had given him- Romans 1:19-20; 2:7, 14-15. 
  1. He Had a Burden For Others– Acts 10:24. In Acts 11:12 we see that there were six other brethren that he had called to go along with him to visit Peter. When a person gets saved, immediately they want to tell others about Jesus Christ. John 1:40-42 Andrew found his brother Simon Peter and led him to Jesus Christ. 
  1. He wasn’t Saved– Acts 11:14-15. Cornelius needs a savior to share the gospel with Him and God used Peter. Can God use you to share the gospel to a religious person? Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart”. Peter preached the gospel in Acts 10:34-43, the life, death, resurrection of Jesus Christ, and forgiveness through faith in His name. 

Conclusion: Cornelius was a moral, religious, generous, prayerful, and well known man but he still needed a savior. Being a good person is not enough because salvation is not based on your righteousness, it based on the righteousness of Jesus Christ. If you are a religious person that doesn’t yet have Jesus Christ, believe on Him today and be saved.