The salvation of Cornelius, the first Gentile to have been born-again by faith in Jesus Christ is a clear example of the predestination saving grace of God.

Cornelius had just heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, when God poured out the Holy Spirit upon them and then they began to praise God.

Acts 10 ” ³⁹ “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, ⁴⁰ but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. ⁴¹ He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” ⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. ⁴⁵ The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.”

Man does not control when they are born-again by the Spirit.

The Spirit of God chooses whom to be saved according to His Grace:

John 3 “⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.””

Many people hear the Gospel but their hearts are closed and they don’t receive the Spirit.

God chooses our spiritual birth by opening our heart to the Gospel of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit enters a person’s heart to regenerate them so that they can believe in Jesus and praise God.

It’s because a person is spiritually dead and needs the Holy Spirit to even see the truth of Jesus.

There are many people who hear the gospel but they don’t believe.

Unless God gives repentance (change of heart) by giving them a new heart, they cannot even believe in Jesus.

Peter did not even want to preach to the Gentiles, until God sent 3 visions to change his heart.

God has to do the changing of the heart before people even preach the Gospel !!

God has to change the heart before people even believe in Jesus!

Acts 11 “⁴ Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: ⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. ⁶ I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. ⁷ Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ ⁸ “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹ “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again. ¹¹ “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. ¹² The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. ¹⁴ He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’ ¹⁵ “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” ¹⁸ When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

You see, it is God who forgave all our sins on the cross by removing the Law so that we are sinless and perfect in Christ.

God then gives repentance (change of heart) giving us hearts of flesh that believe in Jesus.

Ezekiel 36 “I will cleanse you from all your sins…²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you;”

Jesus has done the work! Rejoice in the Lord.