 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Article Archive |
2008
Saved by GRACE
Through FAITH
by Jim Morris
The Lord blessed the preaching efforts of the apostle Paul. All went well until some men came from Judea to Antioch with the message: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). “This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them” (15:2). Paul and Barnabas were selected to resolve the heated debate in the place where Christianity began—Jerusalem. Nevertheless, “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”” (15:5).
Peter reasoned with the brethren by comparing how God had worked with the Jews on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two and the Gentiles at Cornelius' house in Acts chapter ten. Peter argued, “God, who knows the HEART, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by FAITH. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the GRACE of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are” (15:8-11).
Peter and James created peace by addressing the legitimate fears of the Jewish brethren concerning ignorant and unholy Gentile practices. James said, “we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood” (15:20).
Today, we still have heated debates on the terms of fellowship between believers in Christ. Rites, rituals and regulations get in the way of unity. How can we lay a solid foundation for fellowship then?
First, we must understand that salvation is by God's grace through our obedient faith. Paul said, “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” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Second, our faith must be real. It must demonstrate the grace of God: (1) by faith, we listen to the word of God (Romans 10:17), (2) by faith, we believe in God (Hebrews 11:6), (3) by faith, we repent of our sins (Acts 3:19), (4) by faith, we confess that Jesus is the Christ (Romans 10:9-10), (5) by faith, we allow ourselves to be immersed in water to become a new creation (Romans 6:3-4) filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), (6) by faith, we grow in Christ to become more like Him (2 Corinthians 3:18), and (7) by faith, we never deny our Lord even in death (Revelation 2:10).
02-20-08
# 8
