I think the problem is with the word "evil" .
The bible tells us that what is not of faith is sin , and that without faith it is impossible to please God.
This is speaking to what God sees as evil .
God heard the prayers of Abraham and other OT saints.
This is from a commentary by Gill and I believe it is sound
And said, what is it, Lord what is the matter? what is to be said or done? What is the reason of this unusual appearance? Some of the Latin copies, and the Ethiopic version, read, "who art thou, Lord?" but by the angel's answer, not this, but the former was the question: for it follows,
and he said unto him, thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God; that is, the prayers which he had put up in faith, for himself and family, and the charitable actions he had performed from a principle of love, were like sacrifices upon the altar, which ascended to God with acceptance; so these sacrifices of prayer and beneficence came up with acceptance from off that altar which sanctities the gift, or were acceptable to God, through Jesus Christ; these were taken notice of, approved by God, and remembered by him, and the fruits and effects he was shortly to enjoy; for that Cornelius was a believer, need not be questioned; since he was not only a devout and religious person, but one that feared God, which includes the whole of religion, internal and external; and so faith in Christ, without which he could not pray aright: there is no doubt of it, but he had read the prophecies of the Old Testament, attended the synagogues of the Jews, and believed in the Messiah to come, though he did not know that he was come, and that Jesus of Nazareth was he; so that his faith was of the same kind with that of the saints before the coming of Christ; and in this faith he did all the good works he did, which became acceptable to God through Christ, and without which it is impossible to please him.
RnMomof7 quoting Gil: ***... for that Cornelius was a believer, need not be questioned***
Would not you agree that it is clear from the context that Cornelius was unregenerate? Is it not clear that he had not received the Spirit, and "... if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."?
***and in this faith he did all the good works he did, which became acceptable to God through Christ, and without which it is impossible to please him.***
Is this not a serious blurring of the line for Reformed theology? Is Gill saying that people can do "good works" acceptable to God in an unregenerate state because they will be regenerate eventually and it sort of "bleeds" back?
It seems to me that the Bible teaches that unregenerate people are capable of deeds praiseworth in the estimation of God but "...though commended through their faith, [they] did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect."
???