Acts 15:1-35
Today's Passage: Acts 15:1-35
“And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.” Acts 15:8-9
The Law of Moses was unable to save us - the Law was never meant to save us. It was designed to point us to God and our desperate need for him. Acts 15 is crucial for us to understand the work of Christ in fulfilling the Law of Moses and establishing salvation through faith.
Now that Christ has come and offered salvation to the Gentiles, some Jews also want the Gentiles to follow the Law. But Peter clarifies that our salvation is not based on what we do. Our salvation is about the heart - a heart that has faith in Jesus. The same is true for us today. We are saved through faith alone in Christ alone. “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9).
We believe that truth, but sometimes, in pursuit of holiness, we can start to think our obedience contributes to our salvation. When we are walking with God we feel like we can run to him anytime. When we mess up we hide from God until we get our act together, Peter confesses that our obedience will always fall short. We need the grace that is freely given through faith in Jesus Christ (11).
Here is the important takeaway - your obedience IS important, but the reason has changed. You no longer have to obey to be accepted - you get to truly obey because you ARE accepted through the work of Christ! It is no longer to prove your worth but to show your worship towards the One who saved you.
In what ways do you try to win God’s favor?
Does your life reflect a heart that has been changed by God?
Written By: Joe Weaver
“And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.” Acts 15:8-9
The Law of Moses was unable to save us - the Law was never meant to save us. It was designed to point us to God and our desperate need for him. Acts 15 is crucial for us to understand the work of Christ in fulfilling the Law of Moses and establishing salvation through faith.
Now that Christ has come and offered salvation to the Gentiles, some Jews also want the Gentiles to follow the Law. But Peter clarifies that our salvation is not based on what we do. Our salvation is about the heart - a heart that has faith in Jesus. The same is true for us today. We are saved through faith alone in Christ alone. “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9).
We believe that truth, but sometimes, in pursuit of holiness, we can start to think our obedience contributes to our salvation. When we are walking with God we feel like we can run to him anytime. When we mess up we hide from God until we get our act together, Peter confesses that our obedience will always fall short. We need the grace that is freely given through faith in Jesus Christ (11).
Here is the important takeaway - your obedience IS important, but the reason has changed. You no longer have to obey to be accepted - you get to truly obey because you ARE accepted through the work of Christ! It is no longer to prove your worth but to show your worship towards the One who saved you.
In what ways do you try to win God’s favor?
Does your life reflect a heart that has been changed by God?
Written By: Joe Weaver
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