Call No Man Unclean
In Acts 10:28, Peter declares, “You know it’s forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a foreigner, but God has shown me that I must not call any person impure or unclean.” This moment—when God shatters Peter’s preconceptions through a vision of a sheet descending from heaven—changed the trajectory of the Gospel. It’s a powerful reminder for us today: we don’t get to decide who’s worthy of God’s grace. As I’ve walked alongside men for over a decade through FivestarMan.com and penned books like FivestarMan, Centurion Principle, Pray Like a Son, Leave the Cave, and a dozen more. I’ve seen how prejudging others can sabotage our mission. Here are five reasons we must stop labeling men “unclean” and start sharing the Gospel with every one of them—no exceptions.
1. Call No Man Unclean Because God’s Grace Doesn’t Discriminate
Peter’s vision in Acts 10 wasn’t just about food; it was about people. God told him, “What God has made clean, do not call unclean” (Acts 10:15). I’ve met men—addicts, adulterers, skeptics—who seemed far from God. But I’ve also seen them transformed when someone dared to share the Gospel without judgment. In my own life, abandoned by my father at five and wrestling with an identity crisis, I could’ve been written off. God didn’t see me as unclean—He saw potential. The Gospel isn’t ours to gatekeep; it’s God’s to give, and He offers it to every man, no matter his past.
2. Call No Man Unclean Because Prejudging Blinds Us to Purpose
When we slap labels like “unworthy” or “hopeless” on a man, we miss the purpose God’s planted in him. In Leave the Cave, I talk about the five passions of Biblical/Authentic manhood—adventure, entrepreneur, gallant, faithful, and philanthropic. Every man carries these, even if they’re buried under sin or struggle. I’ve mentored guys who looked like lost causes—a pilot stuck in a dead-end job, a pastor doubting his calling—only to watch them step into greatness once they heard God’s truth. Judging them by their surface keeps us from drawing out the champion within.
3. Call No Man Unclean Because The Gospel Is for the Outcast
David’s mighty men weren’t polished saints—they were the distressed, indebted, and discontented (1 Samuel 22:2). Jesus Himself sought out tax collectors, fishermen, and sinners. In Acts 10, Cornelius, a Gentile outsider, becomes a vessel for God’s glory. I’ve seen this play out in real-time: men I’ve met in prisons, bars, and boardrooms, written off by society, who ignite with purpose when they encounter Christ. If we prejudge who’s “clean” enough for the Gospel, we’re not just rejecting them—we’re rejecting God’s pattern of redeeming the unlikely.
4. Call No Man Unclean Because Our Bias Blocks God’s Work
Peter’s reluctance to visit Cornelius stemmed from cultural bias—Jews didn’t mix with Gentiles. God had to shake him out of it. I’ve caught myself doing the same—assuming a man’s too rough, too secular, too broken to hear the Gospel. But every time I’ve set that aside and shared anyway, I’ve seen the Holy Spirit move. In Brazil, we’re reaching over 100,000 men with FivestarMan.com, many from backgrounds I might’ve once overlooked. When we decide who’s “unclean,” we’re not protecting the Gospel—we’re limiting God’s power to save.
5. Call No Man Unclean Because Every Man Deserves a Chance to Rise
The sheet from heaven didn’t just lower animals—it lowered hope for all humanity. Acts 10:34-35 says, “God shows no favoritism, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.” I think of the men I’ve coached—a porn addict who restored his marriage, a businessman who went from wage slave to industry leader. They didn’t need my judgment; they needed God’s truth. Calling no man unclean means believing every guy has a shot at becoming a mighty man of God. Our job isn’t to filter—it’s to invite.
Step Up: Take the 45-Day Challenge
Men, if you’re reading this, know this: God doesn’t call you unclean, and neither do I. You’re built for purpose, and I want to help you find it. Join me at FivestarMan.com for the 45-Day Challenge—a 45-day journey to awaken your God-given passions and step into Biblical/Authentic manhood. No matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, the Gospel’s for you. Sign up today at FivestarMan.com and let’s leave the labels behind—together, we’ll rise to the call!
Neil Kennedy is the founder of FivestarMan, a movement dedicated to awakening men’s entrepreneurial spirit and raising a movement of men pursuing Biblical/Authentic Manhood.
