Correction: the word is not dechomai but dektos. On the road yesterday and failed memory.
I was responding to this (my highlights):
33 "So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God,
to hear all the things commanded you by God." 34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that
God shows no partiality. 35 "But in every nation
whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. (Acts 10:34-35 NKJ)
This is Peter's account of being prepared to be sent to evangelize a Gentile - Cornelius, then being sent, then evangelizing, and recapping the experience.
Observations:
- God showing no partiality mainly concerns Jew vs. Gentile and secondarily those who fear Him and those who do not.
- Cornelius was a believer in the God of the Jews
- Brings to mind at minimum Rom1
- Cornelius was yet an unbeliever in Jesus Christ
- Cornelius the unbeliever was a man who was "fearing" the God of the Jews
- Cornelius the unbeliever was a man who was "working righteousness"
- Cornelius the unbeliever was "a dektos man to God"
Dektos per BDAG Lexicon main points (my highlights):
1. pert. to being met with approval in someone’s company,
acceptable, welcome,
2. pert. to
being pleasing because of being approved, pleasing, acceptable,
3. pert. to being appropriate to circumstances, favorable,
Yes, it does seem to me that a God conscious unbeliever can fear God, do what Peter called works of righteousness, and be pleasing to God, and that God will send someone to proclaim His Gospel to him, and yes, even prepare him in some way to be receptive to it.