How a Good Man but an Unsaved
“Send to Joppa and fetch Simon, whose surname is Peter; who shall speak unto thee words zuhereby thou shalt be saved, thou and all thy house.” — Acts 11:13, 14.
IN the record of the incident from which my text is taken we are told that Cornelius, a captain in the Roman army, but who, as we shall see directly, was a remarkably good man in many ways, was not as yet a saved man. He was bidden to send to Joppa for Peter, the apostle; and Peter would speak unto him words through hearing which and believing which and acting upon which he would be saved. The life of Cornelius was already a most exemplary life in many respects and he was further¬ more a most candid, sincere, honest and earnest seeker after the truth. Nevertheless, our text clearly teaches us he was not saved as yet, although he was soon going to be saved. To my mind the story of the salvation of this man Cornelius is one of the most interesting and instructive contained in the whole Bible, not merely because he was the first Gentile convert to Christianity, but because of what he himself was.
I. The Character of Cornelius
Let us look closely at the character and conduct of this man Cornelius.
I. In the first place, the inspired record declares that, He was “a Devout Man” (Acts 10:2), “and One That Feared God.” He was a man who lived as in the sight of God and with a reverential regard for God’s will and God’s law. It is evident from the whole story that his devotion was genuine; for it affected his whole household. We are told that not only did he fear God, but that he “feared God with all his house.” Furthermore, the soldiers under him and his near friends also were affected by the genuineness of his pious regard for the Deity (Acts 10:2, 7, 24). It certainly speaks well for a man’s piety when his whole family participate in it and when those who serve under him share in it. I know not a few religious people whose families do not take much stock in their religion and whose employees do not take any stock at all in it; but so genuine was the regard for God of this man Cornelius, that his whole family shared in it and even his soldiers were affected by it.
Cornelius was not in a position very favourable to the promotion of piety. Many have told me that it is impossible to be truly religious, even in our own army, but it was certainly very difficult in the old Roman army. But it was in this place of extreme difficulty that we see Cornelius maintaining his devotion at a very high level. The truth is, there is no position in life where it is impossible to serve God. Someone (George C. Grubb) has said, “Have you never noticed that God’s most brilliant saints
HOW TO BE SAVED
have been placed in positions of peculiar difficulty?” And he cites as illustrations of this the case of Joseph in the awful court of Pharaoh, and Daniel at the depraved court of Nebuchadnezzar. He might have added Elijah at the vile court of Ahab and John the Baptist at the licentious and bloody court of Herod, and many others. No, my friend, who¬ ever you may be who is making the excuse, “I can¬ not serve God in my position”; that is not true. If you cannot serve God in any other way in that position, you can serve Him by giving up your position.
2. But Cornelius was not only a devout man toward God, he was also righteous toward men. This we are told in so many words in Acts io: 22. This was the testimony regarding him by those who went to Peter. I am sorry to say that devoutness toward God is not always accompanied by righteousness toward men. Of course, a faith in God and love for God that does not lead to honesty in deal¬ ing with men and love toward men is not an intelligent and genuine faith; but there is much of that sort of “faith in God” in the world to-day. There is much that passes for devotion that is not accompanied by righteousness in private, domestic, business and political life. I have known men of most demonstrative piety who were utterly unreliable in business. Now I do not believe these men are all conscious hypocrites, but they certainly have a devoutness which is of no value in the sight of God. But Cornelius was a man wEo was “righteous” toward men, as well a9 “devout” toward God. That is a most happy combination. I wish we had more men of that type here in Los Angeles.
3. In the third place, Cornelius was an exceptionally and notably generous man. God’s own record concerning him is that he “gave much alms to the people” (Acts 10:2). So notable was the generosity of Cornelius’ gifts to the poor that God took notice of them and kept a record of them. He even went so far as to send an angel down to say to Cornelius, “Thine alms are gone up for a memorial before God” (Acts 10:4). That is to say that they had gone up to be remembered by God. If the only memorial that some of you professing Christians here to-night get in Heaven is your alms to the poor, I am afraid that it will be of such small dimensions that you will have a hard time finding it when you get there. All that a good many people give to the poor is their cast-off clothing, that they themselves would not wear any more anyhow. Not so with Cornelius, he “gave much alms to the people.”
4. But even this is not all, Cornelius was a Man of Prayer. We are told that he <c prayed to God always” (Acts 10:2). Though he was not a Jew by birth, he had become convinced of the truth of the Jewish religion and observed the regular Jewish hours of prayer. We find him praying “about the ninth hour of the day,” which was nine o’clock in the morning, the Jewish hour of morning sacrifice and morning prayer. And furthermore, as already said, we are told that he <( prayed to God always He was a man who was constantly in prayer to God. He no longer worshipped or prayed to Jupiter or Juno or Venus or any of the false gods of the religion in which he was born and brought up, but to the only
HOW TO BE SAVED
true God. He was a man who was constantly in prayer to God. Remember, Cornelius was not yet a Christian; but what an example he sets in this matter of prayer to many who profess to believe dn Christ Jesus to-day. I wonder how much time the average Christian in this audience to-night, Protestant or Roman Catholic, spends in prayer daily. About the only time some Roman Catholics pray is when the priest appoints them so many Pater Nosters or Ave Marias as a penance, and about the only praying a good many Protestants do is four or five minutes at bedtime; but this captain in the Roman army, just emerging from the darkness of heathen¬ ism, was a man of constant prayer, and his prayers as well as his alms had “gone up as a memorial be¬ fore God” (Acts 10:4).
5. In addition to all these things, in the fifth place, Cornelius was an eager seeker after more light. When he heard that there was in another city a man who had more truth than he had, he “immediately” sent for him (Acts 10:7, 8, 33), and in addition to that “called together his kinsmen and his near friends” to hear this new truth. All the truth that there was he wanted for himself, and not only for himself but for his friends also, and he wished it at once. How unlike Cornelius was to many to-day who call themselves honest “seekers after truth,” but who studiously avoid those who are likely to give them the truth, and, if they happen to meet them, dodge and quibble and resort to all sorts of subterfuges to escape from letting the light into their hearts. Many a man to-day calls himself a “truth-seeker,” and goes and listens to some palpable pettifogger such as Colonel Ingersoll was. Cornelius was not that kind of “truth-seeker” but an honest and genuine one who really wanted to know the truth, and who was ready to immediately obey it when he found it. Cornelius was not yet a Christian, but he was not of that type of non-Christians who are ready to listen to all sorts of disingenuous reasonings and foolish imaginations that seem to discredit Christianity. He was indeed a sincere seeker after truth.
At the very time that directions came to him from God to send to Joppa for Simon Peter, who would tell him the saving truth, he was in prayer for more light. That is evident from Acts 10:31, 32, where we read that the angel said to him, “Cornelius, thy prayer is heard.... Send therefore to Joppa, and call unto thee Simon, whose surname is Peter.” So it is evident that the “prayer” that he was offering and that was “heard” zvas a prayer for light, a prayer for the truth. Every honest seeker after light will pray for it. I would like to ask any skeptic present here to-night, “Have you ever honestly asked God to show you the light? Have you ever honestly asked God to show you if Jesus Christ was His Son or not, and promised Him that if He would show you that Jesus was the Son of God you would accept Him as your Saviour, and confess Him as such before the world?”
6. In the sixth place, Cornelius was ready to obey the truth when he fouyid it, zuhatever it might require of him. This is evident from his question when God’s messenger appeared. Pie was badly frightened, but he stood up like the obedient soldier
HOW TO BE SAVED
that he was, and said, “What is it, Lord?” (Acts 10:4). In other words, “Lord, give the command and I will obey it.” His readiness to obey the truth is also proven by his prompt obedience to the Gospel when it was declared to him (Acts 10:43-48).
Taken all together, this man Cornelius was a man of singularly lofty character; devout toward God, righteous toward men, a great giver to the poor, a man of much prayer, an eager seeker after truth, ready to obey the truth when he found it, whatever it might require; and yet with all this, the inspired record tells us Cornelius was not as yet “saved,” that he still needed salvation: the word that God spoke to him was, “Send to Joppa and fetch Simon, whose surname is Peter; who shall speak unto thee words whereby thou shalt be saved” It is clear then that he was not saved as yet.
How many there are in this audience to-night who are trusting for salvation in just such things as Cornelius already had, and who fancy they are saved because they have some or all of these things, though they certainly have them in much less measure than Cornelius had. How many men have told me they expected to be saved because they were religious or because they were righteous in their daily life in their dealings with men, or because they were generous to the poor, or because they prayed a good deal, or because they were honest seekers after the truth. Behold Cornelius! He was all these and more y and yet God declares that he was not as yet saved. If any man could be “saved by character” certainly Cornelius could; but he was unsaved, and that fact shows the utter folly of this modern nonsensical talk about “Salvation by Character.” Cornelius still needed something that was absolutely necessary be¬ fore he could be a saved man. I am glad to tell you he found it. Every man who is as sincere a seeker after truth as Cornelius was, and as ready to obey it when he finds it, will certainly find it; for the Lord Jesus Himself says, “If any man willeth to do his will (that is, God’s will) he shall know of the teach¬ ing whether it is of God, or whether I speak from myself” (Jno. 7: 17). It is absolutely certain that any man who sincerely desires to know the truth and is ready to obey it when he finds it, will find it, and will accept the truth as it is in Jesus and will thereby be saved; but he is not actually saved until he does know this truth and receives it and acts upon it. These things which Cornelius had did not save him, but they prepared him to find and receive the truth as it is in Christ Jesus, and thereby to be saved.
II. How Cornelius Found Salvation and Be¬
came Not Only a Good Man But a Saved
Man and a Child of God
Now let us look at how Cornelius found salvation and became not only “a good man,” but “a saved man” and “a child of God.”
1. First of all, Cornelius prayed for light. This appears from God’s saying to him,” Thy prayer is heard... Send therefore to Joppa and fetch
Simon, whose surname is Peter, who shall speak unto thee words whereby thou shalt be saved” (Acts 10:31, 32, comp. Acts 10:22 and Acts 11:13, 14). Cornelius felt that he had not the whole truth. He knew that he had not peace. He knew that for
HOW TO BE SAVED
all his excellencies of character he was a sinner and needed pardon, and he sought from God to find out where pardon could be found. Whosoever desires to know the truth, and whosoever desires pardon, let him seek light from God, let him ask God to point him to the One in Whom pardon is to be found. That prayer mill not save him, hut it mill lead him to the One Who mill save him. I could stand here by the hour and give you illustrations of men and women whom I have known from pretty much every rank of society, who were in sincere doubt as to whether Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and whether He could and would save, but who sought light from God and got it, and were thus brought to an intelligent faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and as their own personal crucified and risen Saviour, and thereby found salvation.
2. In the second place, Cornelius obeyed, step by step, the light as God gave him to see it. There are some who will not take one single step until God shows them the whole way. Such people never find the way. But if we are ready to take a step at a time as God indicates it to us, God will lead us on and on into the perfect day. For example, I know men who will not take the steps in the truth, which they acknowledge are perfectly clear, because they do not yet understand all the mysteries concerning future punishment and God’s purposes concerning the heathen and predestination and other questions like that. Cornelius was not like that. Cornelius only asked to see a step at a time; and as soon as he saw the next step he took that, and therefore he was soon out in the clear daylight. So will it be with you if you will follow Cornelius’ example. The very first step that Cornelius was bidden to take was a test of faith: he was bidden to send for an unknown Jew in a tanyard, who should show him the way of life. How absurd that must have looked, were not the Jews in subjection to the Romans? and was not Rome the land of culture and Judea the land of superstition? and was not this particular Jew an uneducated man, and should he, a cultured Roman officer, send for an ignorant Jew to teach him? But Cornelius knew God had commanded it; so he raised no objections and asked no questions, but obeyed orders and did exactly as he was told. Ah, how many of us refuse to obey God’s orders be¬ cause we are so filled with the conceit of our own culture and our own superior position; and therefore we never get out of the fog and darkness into which our self-sufficiency has plunged us. We proudly refuse to obey God because we cannot understand the reasonableness of His commands, and so we miss the path of unquestioning obedience to God that would lead us into the glorious light of the Son of God.
3. The third step that Cornelius took toward salvation was that, He heard the simple Gospel of Christ crucified and Christ risen again, and of remission of sins to be obtained through simple faith in this crucified and risen Christ Jesus, the Lord of all. The sermon that Cornelius heard was very short, and it was the first Christian sermon he had ever heard. He may have heard before that there was such a person as Jesus, but he knew little or nothing about Him. Peter simply told him a few funda-HOW TO BE SAVED
mental facts about Jesus, how God “preached good tidings of peace by Him,” how Jesus Christ was “Lord of all,” “how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit .and with power,” and how He “went about doing good, and healing all that were op¬ pressed of the devil; for God was with him.” Peter told him how he, himself, was witness of all things which Jesus of Nazareth did, and then he told him how they slew Him and “hanged him on a tree,” and then he told him how on the third day “God raised him up,” and how he, himself, was an eye¬ witness of His appearances in His body after His resurrection and had “eaten and drank with Jesus after he arose from the dead,” then he told him how this Jesus was “ordained of God to be the judge of the living and the dead,” and how “to him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every¬ one that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:34-43). That was all that Peter told him, and that was enough. Cornelius believed it and was instantly saved. All that Cornelius heard you have heard time and time again, and as far as hearing and knowing the truth is concerned, you have heard enough and already know enough to be saved.
4. Then Cornelius took the decisive step. He be¬ lieved in Jesus Christ right there and then, and was saved at once. Will you take the same decisive step to-night, the simple step of believing on Christ Jesus, of Whom it is conclusively proven that He died on the cross and thus made full atonement for sin, and secured pardon for all who would believe on Him, and that “He arose again” and therefore has power to keep from the power of sin all those who put their trust in Him? (Heb. 7:25).
As good and exemplary as Cornelius was, he wa9 saved in the same way that the coarse, brutal, prayer¬ less, godless Philippian jailor in the sixteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles was saved, that is by simple faith in Jesus Christ for the pardon of sin and for deliverance from sin’s power.
When Peter spoke of the “forgiveness of sins,” Cornelius knew he needed it, and if you have not already received Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour, you need it to-night, and when Peter said, “Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins,” Cornelius said to himself, “That means me,” and he believed right then and there, and “received remission of sins” right then and there. Anyone here to-night can receive remission of sins in exactly the same way that Cornelius did, and just as quickly as Cornelius did. The word preached to Cornelius says, “Through his name everyone that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins.” Even though you are as good as Cornelius you need pardon: even though you are as vile as the vilest you can have it, “Everyone that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins” Let me call your attention to one thing more. The Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius then and there, in testimony to the fact that God had accepted him, and he began to “magnify God” in the power of the Holy Spirit. And so not only pardon, but the Ploly Spirit’s power is for everyone here to-night who will believe on the Lord Jesus, and claim it.
5. There is still one more thing that Cornelius
HOW TO BE SAVED
did that needs to he carefully noted, Cornelius openly confessed in baptism his acceptance of Jesus Christ and his identification with Him. He was already saved. He already had God’s seal of acceptance, the definite, conscious work of the Holy Spirit, but that did not make him say, “There is no need that I be baptized. I have got everything already.” No, rather it made him say, “I want to obey God and confess my faith in Jesus Christ in God’s appointed way, by baptism.” The faith in Jesus Christ that Cornelius had was real, saving faith, and saving faith always leads to obedience, and the Christ in whom Cornelius believed as Saviour and Lord had commanded baptism, so he was baptized right off. And, if you really believe in Jesus Christ, you will desire to obey Christ in everything, and if you have not been baptized already you will desire to be baptized, and even if you have been baptized already you will do that for which baptism is an outward sign, make an open confession of your acceptance of Jesus Christ as your crucified, dead and buried and risen Lord and Saviour.
Salvation is open to everyone here to-night. It cannot be obtained by any amount of piety toward God, or righteousness toward man, or generosity in giving, or earnest praying, or sincerity in the search for the truth. By one and all, good and bad, moral and immoral, highly respected and utterly despised, it must be obtained in the same way, that is by a simple faith in Christ Jesus, who died for us on the cross of Calvary and rose again, faith in Him as your Saviour and your Lord. Who will thus put their faith in Him to-night?