What God has made clean

“The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’” Acts 10:15
The events in Acts 10 show us a massive theological and cultural hurdle that Peter had to overcome: the fact that Gentiles could receive salvation without first proselytising into Judaism. And Peter was not the only one – the Jews were taught by the religious leaders that Gentiles were only fit to keep the fires of hell burning.
We can face similar hurdles, when we encounter people who may have been extremely wicked and immoral, who come to faith in Jesus Christ. In God’s sight, their sins are washed as white as snow just as ours are. But we often continue to judge them by their past sins. A few years ago I remember reading in the news about a Christian man was brought to trial and jailed for some child sex offences committed years before he was saved, and thought it wasn’t fair. God had forgiven his sins, but I suppose human justice still had to be carried out. But even amongst our unbelieving friends who come to salvation, it’s important for us to stop bringing up their impure past, because God has made them clean.