Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Acts 15:10-11 "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."
GRACE ALONE SAVES
The young Christian church faced a controversy in the first century. Some people were teaching the non-Jewish Christians that they needed to obey the Old Testament laws and be circumcised in order to be saved (see Acts 15:1).
The Apostles and Elders met in Jerusalem to discuss this troubling development. After some discussion, Peter got up and made a speech that settled the matter. Our passage for today is the end of that speech.
God had given the Old Testament laws and regulations to the Jews to show them that they couldn't keep them! When the Jews saw how many laws they had failed to keep, they were supposed to see how badly they needed a Savior! Trusting in our own law keeping for salvation is just what Peter calls it above, an unbearable burden.
The Apostles and Elders had gathered in Jerusalem to discuss what God really required for salvation. Peter summarized the list of requirements saying, ". . . it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved" (Acts 15:11).
Your salvation does not depend on how you feel, how many good things you've done, or how good a Christian you've been lately. Your salvation does not depend on you at all. It depends on Jesus Christ and what He has already done for you. Your salvation depends on Jesus' grace.
