The wording Peter uses in Acts 10:29 provides a clear association of general application for all Christians. In order for us to properly obey Christ, we cannot object or dispute with his word. We are called to rely upon God’s revelation by faith and not by feelings or his man-made stipulations. So, this statement here in v.29 becomes the prototype for all Christian obedience—Go forth in obedience with no objection. Or in the words of Ps. 119:60–I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments.
Once again, to properly obey the Lord in any situation requires placing the commands of Christ above all personal considerations. And this is often quite costly, as it was for Peter, since he had to give up the most significant customs he had ever known.
At this point it might be helpful to identify the costly factors in our own obedience. What causes you to object or dispute God’s word instead of trusting him? Perhaps it’s when you can’t find an explanation for what is going on; or when it’s causing you discomfort or pressing against your fear of man’s disapproval. We are able to identify those factors by analyzing how we rationalize disobedience—”Obeying God shouldn’t be this hard; he wouldn’t put me in this situation and expect me to give up this much; How can I obey when this person is treating me like this? Does God not want me to have close relationships will my friends and family? Maybe I need to cool it a little bit and just go with the flow because how can this discord really bring glory to God?” We need to understand that the results of our obedience are up to the Lord and we probably should have the words of Christ more readily available in our minds—John 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command you; NOT—you are my friends if all people like you. Peter had strongly objected to the Lord’s instruction during his earthly ministry, but now he receives the commands of the Lord and simply obeys. The transforming grace of God had worked powerfully in his life.