escaping the party

The debate that runs rampant in the church today is the same one that the first believers had as well. What debate is that, you ask: red kool-aid vs blue kool-aid? traditional vs contemporary? esv vs nlt? No, no. It’s not one of these life altering things (you’re picking up the sarcasm, right?) The debate is this: So, what should/shouldn’t we do?!

In Acts 5 this debate is at a first century rage! Jewish believers wanted Gentile believers to be circumcised, and I’m sure the gentile believers were not too excited about this. Huge debate! Huge! In verse 5 something really weird happens, check it out: Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”

The part of this verse that blew me away is that there were believers that still hung out with the pharisees. So here’s my observation, and please tell me if you disagree. Whenever there is conflict we bring in ALL of ourselves. The good and the bad. The parts that you’ve given over to God and the parts that you haven’t. Our past, history, experiences as well as our present and future!

APP! Whenever there is conflict or disagreement in my ministry or marriage, friends or family, or the conflict that I have everyday with people I don’t like am I approaching it from my pre-redemption, nurture? In other words: Is that just how I was raised? For good or bad it is easy for us to operate in this self. Even if our nurture my be correct it might not be the nature of Christ! Hear that?! The way you grew up, even if it is right, might not be how Christ wants you to operate.

I know this screws up my life!

Just to finish off the narrative: Peter pipes up and says the most profound statement. We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.

Amen, Peter. Amen!

Created over 2 years ago