Introduction

The elders who oversee our church plant here in the Verde Valley have told me that if I were to face a dissention in the church….if this little church plant faced a critical issue that was not easily resolved, they would be here within hours to personally lend wisdom, advise, support and instruction in the matter so we could root out heresy and move forward in Biblical fellowship.

It would make a huge statement if our elders drove for an hour each way and gave up half of a day to resolve an issue here.

Let’s magnify that statement about 100,000 times. A huge divide was happening between those who had come to belief in Jesus out of Judaism and those who came to faith in Christ out of pagan belief systems. It was a matter of such huge importance, it took the Apostle Paul off the mission field so that he could personally return to Jerusalem and participate in this battle between the Jews and Gentiles within the church.

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 were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.

The word translated as “dissention” in verse 2, is the Greek word stasis (stä’-sēs). Stasis is translated other places in scripture as the words “Insurrection,” “Sedition,” and “Uproar.” Dissention, as it appears here in God’s word, is the kind of situation where 2 sides of an issue have very strong opinions and those opinions are not easily resolved.

This was a matter of “and-you-have-to’s”… They were pressuring the leaders in the early Christian church to instruct these new gentile converts that they were saved God’s grace and through circumcision and through observing Jewish customs. They were arguing for some “and-you-have-to’s”… insisting that new believers must become Jews first before they could become Christians. This was an early heresy of epic proportions.

Paul writes extensively about this issue in both Galatians and Ephesians. Put a finger in Gal 3.

The book of Galatians is Gods reminder to the Galatian church plant and to this Canyon Bible Church plant that we are in constant danger of basing our salvation on our works rather than on faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone. Satan is always trying to confuse people that if they use God-talk, they come to church, they avoid gross sins and they pray before meals that they are under the blessing of God.

The Jews who were highly religious in their actions, they were deeply devoted to their religion, but Paul says they were still under God’s curse. They were still destined to pay for their own sins apart from the sacrifice of Jesus, their Messiah… no matter how good they were

To the Ephesians, Paul writes: ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.

So what are the most important distinctives of Salvation? The Apostles in this council argue for 3 high level principles about the nature of Salvation, that might be the most serious doctrine in the Bible. It is the doctrine that determines the difference between whether a person spends eternity in heaven or in Hell.

If there is a waving in this doctrine in your church, in your house or in a Bible study, it should be as serious to you as if you had just learned that terrorists had acquired an arsenal of nuclear missiles and had begun launching them at targets in Arizona.

Main Points

The Apostles believed that ritual had no power for Salvation

Like Paul, some of the Pharisees had receive Jesus as their Messiah, but they were confused. They insisted that all new converts to Christianity must keep the whole Law of Moses. The Apostles discussed the matter seriously and at great length and then Peter stands up to address the council. His words are recorded in Acts 15:7-11:

“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.”

Peter would have been angry had he found out that later in history people thought of him as the first Pope. In fact, he proves in this passage that he would make a terrible Pope, but an excellent apostle…

Here’s why: When given the opportunity to add to the simple Salvation message, Peter simplifies it and stripped it down to the basics. There are no “and-you-have-to’s” here. Peter could have added to salvation circumcision, regeneration by baptism, attending daily services, giving lots of money and pompous ceremonies with priests, altars, robes and cathedrals.

However, he just kept it simple. He makes nothing of ceremonies surrounding salvation. He does not point to religious rites. He does not promote salvation through observation of the ordinances. He points to Grace and to Grace alone.

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.

So that none could boast….

The Apostles were convinced that we are not saved by our own righteousness

People in our country overwhelmingly believe that they gain access to heaven on the basis of their merits. God will grant them eternal life because they are “good people.” To question this belief is treason against the pride of human nature.

Every man is born a Pharisee. Here’s what I mean: .being over-Confident in our own self-righteousness is part of our fallen human nature. By nature, we are all pharisaical. In our flesh, we want to work our way to heaven.

Peter does not say here that if we believe that we are doing our best, that we will be saved. Peter plainly states here, “we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus.” It’s not based on our works. It’s not on the basis of our merits or our performance before God. In Titus 3:5, this truth is stated in this way:

⁵ he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

Every man-made religion depends on following a set of rules to appease a god or the gods. Obeying made-made rules drives:

• Hindus at the Thai food restaurant downtown to sacrifice their entries to the idols gathered in the corner of the restaurant
• Jehovah’s witnesses to go door to door handing out their magazines
• Mormons to engage in a number of rituals and community service activities
• It drive a whole host of Eastern religious beliefs that depend on sacrifices, fasting, prayer mantras and various good works to appease the gods

The apostles believed they were saved on the merit of God’s love toward us. Romans 5:8 says, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

We were saved by a gracious acts from a loving God, not by our own doings or merits. Those who preach mere morality or set up any other way of salvation other than the grace of God through Jesus, preach another gospel. The Bible calls them accursed – even if they preach it with the eloquence of an angel. Galatians 1:8 says:

“…even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”

The Apostles believed in Salvation by Grace ALONE

Peter takes the crown off the head of men in all respects and give all the glory to the grace of God.

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.

It is the doctrine behind this passage that tore the church out of the ritualistic clenches of Roman Catholicism and fueled the reformation. This Doctrine shakes the very gates of hell if it is faithfully preached.

May the Lord grant us an army of witnesses to this community that the rituals and good works so many are depending on are leaving them still bound by the curse of their sins.

Life Application

Are you still trying to work your way to God?

To often we allow our relationship with God to be determined by our performance rather than on Christ’s completed work on the cross. It’s not our work plus Christ’s work.

We enter the kingdom of God by trust in Christ alone.

So what about obeying God’s rules? Obeying God rules result in our blessing and our growth, but have nothing to do with our salvation.

Salvation does not come from Christ plus religious observance, Christ plus good works, or Christ plus sacraments. All these things are good things, but the foundation of our faith is in Christ and Christ alone.

The problem with any supplement is that it implies that Christ’s work is insufficient and we can never be sure if we have completed the additive perfectly.

Salvation is by faith in Christ alone!

Acts 15 – Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Teaching Outline

3 High Level Principles: Acts 15:7-11

1. The Apostles believed that ­­­­_______________ had no power for Salvation 
2. The Apostles were convinced that we are not saved by our own _______________­­­__­
   
   “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit…” Titus 3:5“…God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

   “…even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8

3. The Apostles believed in Salvation by Grace _______________