In these passages is the account of God’s angel appearing to the Roman soldier, Cornelius, in Caesarea. The angel directed Cornelius to seek out Peter in Joppa and have Peter come to Caesarea to deliver a message, the Gospel message.
Cornelius believed in God and gave alms to the Jewish people. God saw that Cornelius’ heart was prepared to receive the Gospel message about Jesus Christ. I believe that God prepares people to make them receptive to believe in Jesus. One’s heart must be right in order to believe.
I think that this preparation takes many forms, but the outcome is to believe in Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.” This healthy fear of God leads one down a path to Salvation. Initially it produces belief in God. We come to realize that God created all things, including us. We then learn to pray to God and worship Him. Eventually, we are given the gift of repentance and belief in Jesus Christ who is the Living Word of God.
