If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?" When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life." Acts 11:17-18

Peter was challenged by the Jewish Christians (11:3) for his experience with Gentiles (chapter 10). Peter replied, explaining how the Lord led him to do what he did, and that God saved the Gentiles, giving them the gift of the Holy Spirit (11:4-17). How did the objecting Jewish believers respond to these things?

They became silent. Perhaps the first and best response to something new is silence. That it is new means we have probably not thought about it. Times of silence are times to think. And to pray. Speaking before thinking and praying is a common recipe for the disaster of regretting what has been said.

They glorified God. Obviously, the truth of what Peter told them was understood and embraced. And because the result of Peter’s encounter with the Gentiles was their salvation, there was reason to glorify God.

They understood that salvation is God’s to give, and that it is not ours (whoever we may be), to give or withhold, or to begrudge. Truly salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit are God’s gifts, unearned, or deserved by any person or people group.

Take a moment right now to pray for those who take the message of the cross to other people groups, and that those who hear the gospel with their ears, will be granted the gift of receiving the message with their hearts.