Breaking out Together

Breaking out Together

“15 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others ” Acts 15:1-2

In Acts 15 The Jerusalem council clarifies how the work of Jesus Christ breaks free both the Jew and the gentile from the bondage of sin. Some of the Jewish believers required faith in Jesus but also added the necessity of male circumcision and a strict observance of the law. This made them feel safe in the church. Although they still deeply loved Christ they didn’t understand the work of Christ alone breaks the Jews and Gentiles from their prison cell together. They were teaching that faith in Christ alone was not sufficient to please God. The Gentiles we still practicing some practices in their life, that although were sinful, didn’t make the Jews feel safe and received, like eating meat that had been offered to a pagan god. What caused hurt to one group made the other feel safe and joyful.

We have our own parallels to this ancient error. Mistaken modern teachers might insist upon the following additions to faith:

• “Unless you are baptized, you cannot be saved.” 
• “Unless you keep the Ten Commandments, you cannot be saved.”
• “Unless you belong to a particular church, you cannot be saved.”
• “Unless you use the KJV you cannot be saved
• Some others today: 
• Unless you get vaxed don’t get vaxed you can’t be really saved. (Aaron Rogers lost game and people tweeting he’s and anti vaxer & loser)
• Unless you vote republican or democrat you can’t be really saved. 
• Unless you….

We can encounter teaching in our thinking that makes us insecure, hopeless, fearful, unsafe, and saps our joy. The Christian who feels they or someone else must earn God’s approval or do something extraordinary to gain God’s forgiveness has fallen into the same error.

• We all have the same problem. Romans 3:23 …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
• We all have the same provision. Romans 3:24 They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
• We all have the same prescription. Romans 10:12-13 for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Paul, and other Christians, believed it was OK to buy this meat and eat it at home, even though it had been sacrificed to an idol. Some Jewish Christians still felt this was participating in idol worship, so James requested the Gentiles to sacrifice their personal freedom if they were going to eat with someone that it hurt or if they knew it had been sacrificed so that others might feel safe. We all come to church with personal preferences and convictions. styles of worship, small groups, Sunday school, a strong sermon, following the denominations guidelines or acting independently, vax or not, wearing a mask or not. Not salvation issues doesn’t mean they’re unimportant. Over 25 years I’ve watched people leave the church for all sorts of reasons. We need to discern, with the Spirit, how to make our church a safe redemptive place. That starts by recognizing that the work of Christ is breaking us out together. We don’t need to add anything to it, but we can also make some compromises when it comes to keeping together what the work of Christ brought together.