Salvation is the Work of God - Acts 15

³ The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. ⁴ When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

As they travel, they stop at churches along the way and tell them of their missionary journey.  Everyone they tell is happy that Gentiles are being saved and believing.  There does not appear to be any grief with the churches over Gentiles being saved.  This is a real accomplishment.  However, there is disagreement over how they are to live.  The problem is they do not have the letters that Paul and Peter and Mark and Luke would write for guidance.  They do not have the Bible as we know it.  Imagine being told about Jesus and believing in Him, but then having no guidance on what to do now, except pray and be taught by someone who followed Him and could remember His lessons whenever they happened to come around.  There was no study to show yourself approved at this time.  What were they to study?  How many could even read?  It was all prayer and the Spirit.

 

⁵ 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 keep the law of Moses.”

The Pharisee believers wanted to add something to the gospel.  “Friend, whenever you add something to the gospel, you no longer have the gospel but you have a religion” (J. Vernon McGee).  Jesus said clearly, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes unto the Father except by Me” (Jn 14:6).  God does not tell us we have to be good people and go to church or go through some kind of rituals to be saved.  He directly asks us, “What are you going to do with My Son who died for your sins?”  Your answer to that question determines your eternal destiny.  

⁶ The apostles and elders met to consider this question. ⁷ After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. ⁸ God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. ⁹ He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

Peter, the one God had to do miracles through visions to get to the Gentiles, speaks up on behalf of the Gentiles.  It is a demonstrable sign of how God can change our character and teach us how to accept people society has taught us to avoid.  This is a miracle that has been performed by God in Peter’s heart.  Peter continues to follow God closely.

Peter also calls out the obvious that no Jew wants to hear.  They’ve had the law for a thousand years and none of them can live up to it.  They have always failed.  It is a yoke that burdens them and they are unable to carry it correctly.  Jesus spoke to this directly.  He is recorded in Matthew 11:28-30 as saying, “²⁸ Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Jesus was aware of their inability as men to live to the law and telling them to follow Him as He would remove that burden of the requirements of the law from them.  Jesus carried the burden and yoke for all of us.  We do not fail and fall upon the harsh judgment of the law but upon a caring Lord who will give us rest from that burden if we’ll believe in Him as the Son of the living God.

Lastly, Peter declares the gospel message.  “It is through the grace of our Lord that we are saved.”  There is no other way and no actions we can take make our salvation any more or less.  We are saved by faith in Jesus and it is His work alone that saves us.