About mid-book … in chapter 15 of 28 total chapters … Acts, the New Testament’s little Volume on Church History, records an event that changes the course of the whole Christian Movement.
In its beginning, the Church (using Jesus’ Words, “My Church” as He called it in Matthew 16:18) was composed of mostly Jewish believers. And the Church (now accepting Jesus as the crucified but resurrected Messiah) continued to meet both around the Temple Precincts in Jerusalem and in the Synagogues of other cities in Israel.
But gradually, particularly with the salvation of the Apostle Paul (Romans 11:13), more and more gentiles were being born-again. Non Jews were being saved in droves!
Yet the loyal Jewish Christians (almost without exception prior to Paul) believed that for a vile gentile to get saved, he had to convert to Judaism, to major aspects of it anyway.
That new believer would certainly need to be circumcised, worship on the Sabbath (Saturday), follow the Mosaic dietary laws, meticulously observe Passover and Pentecost, etc.
But the Gospel God gave to Paul proclaimed (in no uncertain terms) that … simple faith in Jesus, faith alone, would save a sinner from hell!
In a few words: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Needless to say, conflict arose.
Some sort of resolution had to be reached. So, after Paul and Barnabas completed that first ultra-successful Missionary Journey (described by Luke in Acts 13 and 14) … things reached a “boiling point.”
A trip to Jerusalem to meet with the Church “Leaders” became a necessity. Acts 15:1-2 … “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.”
Will things reach an impasse?
Will the Church “split?”
Will the Cause of Christ suffer?
The Holy Spirit so orchestrated that epochal Meeting that the outcome, briefly stated, was: “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.” Acts 15:28-29
“Believe on Jesus,” which would have necessitated abstaining from idols anyway! Of course even the saved Pharisees (and there were a few) believed on Jesus! See Acts 15:5 for a brief description of that group.
“Eat no blood,” a good health measure anyway! (Do not needlessly offend the Jewish brethren.)
“Do not be guilty of fornication,” not because of Law but because of Grace, and the indwelling Power of the HOLY Ghost!
That was all!
Salvation as a Gift of God … apart from Moses!
Paul and Barnabas won the day!
Let me re-word that: The GRACE OF GOD conquered man-made requirements, as the means of salvation!
Paul’s Gospel still stands: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Galatians 2:16, preach it Paul!
It was at this watershed moment, at that Acts 15 council, that the Church began to become less and less Jewish and more and more gentile! That Jerusalem looses its grip on Christianity.
Truly John 1:11-12 must be heard now: “He (Jesus) came unto his own (the Jews), and his own received him not. But as many as received him (including gentiles, especially gentiles), to them gave he power to become the SONS OF GOD, even to them that BELIEVE on his name.”
Thus the Gospel is offered to “whosoever will.” Jew, Greek, Roman … anybody anywhere … who trusts Jesus as Saviour, who is washed in the Blood of the Lamb!
(By the way, the Law of Moses was never given to be “obeyed.” It cannot be obeyed by any merely human being, never has been! That Law was given to prove to us we CANNOT obey! And that we stand as sinners before God, disobedient rebellious sinners! And that we need JESUS to forgive our iniquities, through His vicarious Death on the Cross.)
Paul said it well … “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” Galatians 3:24-25
Wow!
Man is saved by faith in Jesus … plus nothing and minus nothing! Granted: genuine faith, not some flimsy fake version! But sill, FAITH!
Thank God that was settled long ago!
Still the issue this morning … ARE YOU SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD? Or, are you trusting some other means, are you believing a false gospel?
Be sure.
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
Longer Lesson today … weighty and critically important Subject!
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