June 22, 2020
He Loves You, He Loves Me Not.
Acts 15:1-21
Courtney Schubert
Central Truth
Our souls should make their boast in the Lord alone. He alone is our salvation.
Key Verse | Acts 15:10-11
"Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."
Acts 15:1-21
The Jerusalem Council
1 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 were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. 3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. 1 15:3 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 22 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
16
‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
17
that the remnant
2
15:17
Or rest
of mankind may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things
18 known from of old.’
19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
Dive Deeper | Acts 15:1-21
When Gentiles (non-Jewish people) began to receive Christ by the multitudes, many Jewish Christians insisted that Gentiles could only be saved if they followed Jewish law. These customs were out of date ever since Jesus had come to earth to cancel our debt (Colossians 2:14). Peter rejected the idea that anything we do contributes to our salvation. "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith." (Acts 15:7b-9)
The all-knowing God made "no distinction" between the Jews and the Gentiles, as their belief in Jesus Christ had cleansed their hearts and reconciled them to God.
For decades I made distinctions between myself and others. I drew an invisible circle around people I thought God could save, leaving myself out of it. I saw their good deeds, their united parents, their purity, and thought, "Of course, they're Christians." Compared to them, I was a lost cause. This deep unbelief that God could save me was the result of me thinking like some early Jewish Christians that we must contribute to our salvation. A decade of inappropriate relationships left me feeling unclean. This was the main distinction for me. I felt worse off.
I was not. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) I witnessed God's power. He wiped away the shame that was covering my view of the cross. Instead of sitting on the "unreachable" side of an invisible circle, the true distinction is my life today compared to life in 2014. "And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness." (Romans 4:5) No more "He loves you, He loves me not." He loves us!
Discussion Questions
1. In the past week, how have you seen yourself think or act in ways that indicate you are trying to please God rather than rely on His promise to you? Read Hosea 2:19-20.
2. We should all be extremely grateful that the leaders of the early church stood up for the true gospel. How are you declaring the gospel in your sphere of influence? An easy way to do this is to call a close friend and share how God has shown you grace. Even if your friend is a believer, we can never declare truth too much. Read Hebrews 3:12-13.
3. Do you struggle with thinking you're too far gone for God to save? If so, I would encourage you to surround yourself with other believers and confess what you think God can't handle. God is not mad at you, and He longs to show you mercy. Great Questions and re:generation are two ministries that God used to open my eyes to His character. If you have questions about the faith or feel like life is broken, come and see!