Defending the Gospel!

The gospel was under attack! Certain men (Jewish background believers), came to the gentile church and taught them that they needed to be circumcised to be saved! Truly, this was a mixing of Old Testament Law and New Testament Grace. But, can the two mix? Can there be a salvation by grace, and an adding of some other works of the Law? Or, are the two like water and oil? How easy it is to bring beliefs and customs from our former ways of life into our new life in Christ! Especially easy to do when it is former religious views that we assume God is still about.

That is why this conflict and subsequent decision was so important to the church then, and why it has been so important for all of church history until the present day! If salvation required man to perform some work of the Law...then, where would it stop? If man had to be circumcised to be saved, then would there be other Old Testament laws that we also must observe? And, what would that mean about the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross...would His sacrificial death be enough to justify and save mankind?

Well, so divisive was this issue of what is required for man to be saved (faith alone or observance of laws), that Paul and Barnabas needed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders to come to some sort of resolution! So, what was the verdict?

Peter rose up and said in effect, "If God gave gentiles the Holy Spirit by faith, then why do you test God by weighting them down with the law, which neither we nor our fathers could keep? No, we believe that it's through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we and they will be saved!" This hushed the crowd! So, Paul and Barnabas continued telling the group how God did miracles and wonders among the gentiles...validating that it is by grace through faith alone that God is saving gentiles all over the world!

After that, James steps up and references the prophets which agree that God had foretold that there would be a day when the gentiles would seek the Lord and be called by His Name! So, he declares, they shouldn't be burdened by adding the law unto them. So, victory given to the gospel of grace through faith!

Looking back over it again, I love this thought: If God gave His Holy Spirit to the gentiles when they simply believed the gospel...then, why would there be any other "yoke" to place upon them/us? If Jewish Background Believers wanted to keep certain laws or feasts or holy days, then that would be up to them. But, it would be wrong to place that yoke upon the gentiles, especially in regards to salvation! No, this conflict has forever settled the matter of how to be made right with God...God is pleased by faith in His Son and His finished work upon the Cross! He alone is our righteousness and any other message is a false gospel! After all, if God gave the most precious gift of the Holy Spirit to gentiles apart from the works of the law, but by grace alone through faith...then, this is all that is necessary to please Him! Amen!

Father, just like the gentiles who received the letter from the apostles back then, I celebrate the implications of this area of scripture today! Let me forever be blown away by the fullness and completeness of what Jesus has done for me on the Cross! And, let me forever be adamant about defending Your Gospel, as the apostles were here! Help me and all of us to not add anything, any yoke or burden, to new believers that isn't from Your heart or from Your Word! The Good News truly is Good News...help us all to keep it that way!

Created over 2 years ago