2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
Cornelius is like many religious people of all ages. He put his religion into practice in very practical ways. He did everything he thought he was supposed to in order to please God. He was not a slacker. And yet this was not enough. All his efforts were not enough to complete the link between himself and God. He was devout, doing everything right. His life was one of reverence toward God. People could see that he meant business with God. When he saw someone in need, he took of his own wealth and met the need. He also was in regular prayer. And yet, this was not enough. God appears to him and gives him the last step: faith in Christ. Many people who claim to be Christians are not even as faithful as Cornelius was. That is one of the charges brought against Jesus-followers today. Often they don’t see us living any differently than anyone else. Even the divorce rates and instances of adultery are about the same for those who claim to be Christians as those of non-believers. Not so with Cornelius. He lived his faith, but it was just not complete. He was missing a vital piece of the pie. He lived everything he knew, but he just didn’t know everything that he needed to know. Our problem is often that we don’t live what we do know. We know enough, but we are just not willing to live it. We are lazy and selfish. We waste while others go hungry. I want to encourage you to live what you know. It is a glorious ride if you do. The small sacrifices of obedience will pale in comparison to the gains of obedience. Give it a chance in small ways today. Watch God do His work.
The Arnold Journey 