Simple Salvation without Burdensome Restrictions

May 31

We will see throughout the book of Acts that there are some people who will just never accept the simple Christian life and teachings. Legalists show up again and again causing problems. Just as the Jewish leaders did during the ministry of Jesus, religious, graceless people raised their objections over and over again.

It comes to a head in Acts 15, when some of the Jewish Christians insist that if you want to be a good Christian, you have to be a good Jew by submitting to the rite of circumcision and follow the Jewish dietary restrictions. (Acts 15:1, 5) In other words, these Jewish Christians deny the sufficiency of Jesus’ sacrificial death. They believe that salvation is not by grace through faith, (Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 15:11) but salvation is through Jesus plus living according to the Jewish Law. In other words, these Jewish Christians claimed that the former Gentiles who came to faith in Jesus aren’t really saved. Obviously, this was highly problematic.

The apostles met together in Jerusalem and prayed through these concerns. Barnabas and Paul reminded the Jerusalem Council that the Gentiles were saved in the same way, with the same signs and wonders that the apostles had experienced when they were saved. (Acts 15:12) James asked why then should new, believing Gentiles be made to take on the burdensome yoke of the Jewish Law? (Acts 15:8) The Holy Spirit gave them the wisdom they needed. And His leading seemed right to them.

So, they wrote a letter and sent it to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, along with Judas Barsabbas and Silas. The letter simply said: “For it was the Holy Spirit’s decision—and ours—not to place further burdens on you beyond these requirements: that you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.” (Acts 15:28-29, CSB)

The Antioch believers read the letter, they rejoiced!

As is often the case, Paul, Barnabus, and some of the others remained in Antioch, disciple the believers there.

Application

When you have conflicts with other believers, do you seek God’s guidance first? Or do you seek wise counsel? It’s true, God can speak through wise counsel. But under the New Covenant, we don’t have to rely on other people to tell us what God says. God’s people can hear directly from God. (John 10:27) So, in this case, God spoke through the church believers in Jerusalem, who unanimously agreed. While we aren’t told to demand a unanimous vote, God sometimes bends our wills so powerfully and everyone sets aside their own agendas to vote in unison.

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