“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? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved.”— Acts 15: 10-11
The concept of grace was too radical and freeing for many to accept in the early church. Some leaders attempted to control the faithful with the burden of the law and legalism. The apostle Paul went so far as to call them “false brothers” (Galatians 2:4).
When Jesus died on the cross, the earth quaked, the sky darkened, and the thick veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom. The veil tearing at Jesus’ death symbolized His sacrifice and the shedding of His blood as a sufficient sacrifice for our sins forever.
The way into the Holy of Holies was now open to all people, for all time, both Jew and Gentile. Jesus went before us as our High Priest and our sacrifice. By offering Himself, He opened the door to a relationship with His Father that will satisfy, strengthen, and inspire us in this life and into eternity.
The Pharisees and legalists have repeatedly tried over the centuries to restitch the veil and block access to the Holy of Holies. The early church leaders argued that to be saved and to be “right,” one first had to become Jewish and adhere to the Law of Moses, including circumcision.
The issues have changed over the years as man has contrived a thousand forms of legalism as the criteria for salvation.
Rituals, traditions, rules, and regulations try to bury grace. Some traditions and ceremonies can edify believers, but you can also substitute the dispute over circumcision with baptism, church attendance, church membership—or even the right haircut or clothing—and the debate will continue on.
Ultimately, the truth is, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing” (John 6:63).
We are saved by grace. Period.
He was appalled, frustrated, and burdened for his brothers and sisters. Since his own conversion, he had devoted his life to teaching them about Jesus the Messiah and what it means to live under grace and freedom.
He understood laws, social conventions, and religious expectations. “I was a member of the Pharisees …I obeyed the law without fault,” he said. Been there, done that. He knew the danger.
How easily we slip back and burden ourselves with unnecessary rules, laws, and social conventions. In our attempts to be religious, we forget that Jesus said, “The truth will set you free.”
Nowhere did God set down dress codes, music codes, building codes, social conventions, or lists of rules upon which to hang our salvation.
Jesus hung on the cross.
That was enough.
He desires nothing less than our total and absolute freedom to live for Him and to allow Him to live through us. If we concentrate on loving and knowing Him and loving others, we will know what it is to be free!
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1
