ACTS 15
5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. – Acts 15:5-12
ACTS 15 GRACE CONQUERS THE LAW
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When you were chosen by God, you were filled with grace
You need not follow rules, instead, you obey the law of love
You have been saved by Jesus’ finished work on the cross
Live your life so that you will constantly serve and follow Christ
By God’s grace, you have died to the law through Jesus’ body
There is no reason to live as rule keepers but to be God lovers.
In this account, Luke tackles the subject of law and grace. When the Pharisees insisted that the believers needed to follow Moses’ law of circumcision. Luke presents them a brilliant narrative of the inability of the Pharisees to recognize the gift of grace when Jesus died on the cross. He narrates how the apostles and the elders addressed this issue that the Jewish leaders were presenting. Peter reminds them of the presence of the Holy Spirit in every heart of each believer. This is what these so-called teachers of the law missed out. They have no understanding of the finished work of Christ. How could they? They opposed Christ and actually killed him. This is a good exposition of the difference between religion and relationship. Religion encourages rule-keeping while relationships are about love and sacrifice. Jesus did not die for us to follow rules but to love one another as we are loved by God himself. Pure religion according to James 1:27 says the undefiled religion according to God is to care for the widows and orphans. In other words, it involves being immersed in relating and caring for the needs of the vulnerable, weak and poor.
John 1:17 says that “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” This reiterates what Peter is saying in this narrative. Galatians 5:18 reiterates this too when it says “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
REFLECTION
- How can some Christians miss the grace when they are strict rule-keepers?
