Clashing convictions

Simon Peter has grown. He’s followed Jesus through the highs and (certainly the) lows, witnessed the resurrection, preached at Pentecost, and led the early church. But in Acts 10, now an established leader, we find him once again wrestling within. This time, not with fear or ambition or even misguided righteousness—but with conviction.

In this part of the Bible, Simon Peter is challenged to dine with Gentiles (a general term for non-Jews). Not a big deal to us, maybe—but for Jews at the time, it was a non-negotiable no-go. And then it happens: in a vision, Simon Peter sees a large sheet descending from heaven, filled with animals his tradition had always considered unclean. Then comes the startling command: get up and eat.

Instinctively, he pushes back. He’s never broken these food laws. The idea clashes with everything he’s ever been taught to honor. And so—he resists. In a heartbeat. Even to God. That’s how deeply our habits and traditions can be rooted in us: so deep we end up resisting God Himself. But of course… this wasn’t the first time Simon Peter pushed back on God.

In the end, of course, Simon Peter had to surrender. God had spoken—clearly and directly, even against the ruling purity codes. And so it was decided: Simon Peter was to let go of his long-held convictions and sit at the table with Gentiles.

Later, Paul—another hard-nosed follower of Jesus—would write that in Christ, there’s no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. All of us are made one in Him. No categories, no exclusions. Just grace.

So what kind of thinking in your system is holding you back? What deeply settled “doctrines” or assumptions are keeping you from following Jesus freely? Where might you be resisting God—not out of defiance, but because you’re still clinging to what you believe is unquestionably right? Sometimes the hardest kind of surrender… is letting go of our own convictions.