“Again, a second time, the voice said to him, ‘What God has made clean, do not call impure.’” (v. 15)

Peter, on the way to the biggest evangelistic shift in history, has a vision. There’s something like a sheet, and it’s filled with all kinds of critters, and the Lord says, “You can eat these.”

This, of course, was new information: Under the Law, many such things were restricted, out of bounds.

We should approach this revelation from two angles:

First, there is freedom here: God’s people, under Christ, are no longer a people of legalistic restrictions. We are, in fact, a people of moralistic restrictions—but right religion no longer rises or falls on your strict adherence to dietary law. We say “no” to things that are sinful, while enjoying things that are given to us freely.

Second, this isn’t just about food: By revealing the in-bounds nature of Jewishly out-of-bounds foods, the Lord also reveals the inclusive nature of the Gospel invitation. It’s for everyone! And every time we set someone outside our own boundaries of willing welcome, we are opposing Jesus’ commission.

Bottom line: Don’t draw the lines yourself. Don’t call “unclean” what He is made “clean.” Be a free people—and preach the freeing Gospel to every neighbor.

— Tyler