vs.5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised  and required to obey the law of Moses.  vs. 7-9 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.  God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.  He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

God made no distinction between Jew and Gentile when the Spirit came upon them.  God didn’t wait until the Gentiles were adopted into the Hebrew faith, learned the rules, and began practicing them.  The manifestation of the Spirit was proof enough for the elders and apostles to understand that nothing was necessary except repentance and God’s grace.  A short time into my walk with the Lord, a respected Christian said to me, “You don’t need to get cleaned up to take a bath.”