Tigers DO change their stripes
Acts 2:14 "Then Peter stood up with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: 'Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.' "
Peter is speaking to an international crowd at Pentecost. The crowd was puzzled because, although each was speaking in their native tongue, they could all understand each other. Peter boldly stands up and gives a powerful sermon on the Gospel, Christ's resurrection and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
To say that Peter did something bold should not really surprise us, given what we know about him from other accounts in the Bible. He has become somewhat known as a disciple with a penchant for sticking his foot in his mouth. He is also known for drawing his sword in anger and cutting off the ear of one who had come to seize Jesus. He may be best known for denying Jesus three times, just as Jesus predicted he would.
Now, we are saying that he boldly proclaims Jesus and ignites the start of the church through his powerful and eloquent sermon? Is this the same guy? Yes and no. Yes, Peter is physically the same man throughout. But God did a mighty work in him and transformed him into arguably the most important catalyst in the early spread of Christianity.
God does the same thing with each of us who have accepted His gracious gift of the Holy Spirit. I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago, although I might physically look the same (OK, maybe a few more gray hairs, but you get the point!) If someone who knew me then and had not seen me since were to run into me now, the natural assumption would be that I am the same person now that I was then. That would be a mistaken assumption, just as it would be with Peter.
Give others you know the same benefit of the doubt. Don't fall for the trap of believing "a tiger doesn't change their stripes." Haven't yours changed? God isn't finished with any of us yet, so allow Him to do His work in you and accept that He is also working in others.
Peter is speaking to an international crowd at Pentecost. The crowd was puzzled because, although each was speaking in their native tongue, they could all understand each other. Peter boldly stands up and gives a powerful sermon on the Gospel, Christ's resurrection and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
To say that Peter did something bold should not really surprise us, given what we know about him from other accounts in the Bible. He has become somewhat known as a disciple with a penchant for sticking his foot in his mouth. He is also known for drawing his sword in anger and cutting off the ear of one who had come to seize Jesus. He may be best known for denying Jesus three times, just as Jesus predicted he would.
Now, we are saying that he boldly proclaims Jesus and ignites the start of the church through his powerful and eloquent sermon? Is this the same guy? Yes and no. Yes, Peter is physically the same man throughout. But God did a mighty work in him and transformed him into arguably the most important catalyst in the early spread of Christianity.
God does the same thing with each of us who have accepted His gracious gift of the Holy Spirit. I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago, although I might physically look the same (OK, maybe a few more gray hairs, but you get the point!) If someone who knew me then and had not seen me since were to run into me now, the natural assumption would be that I am the same person now that I was then. That would be a mistaken assumption, just as it would be with Peter.
Give others you know the same benefit of the doubt. Don't fall for the trap of believing "a tiger doesn't change their stripes." Haven't yours changed? God isn't finished with any of us yet, so allow Him to do His work in you and accept that He is also working in others.
posted by Robert Jory Allen at
10:27 AM
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