“Sola Fide”

Acts 15

ÓCopyright 2003 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche, September 7, 2003

When our church added the addition to the south of our sanctuary several years ago I was fascinated by the work that was taking place.  (In fact, some might tell you I was in the way.)  I watched as they poured foundations, set in the ducts for heating and cooling and began to erect the structure.  It was amazing to watch things come together step by step.

In a sense this is what we have been doing in the book of Acts.  We have been watching the structure of the church develop. It began with the followers of Jesus, extended to the Samaritans and then on to the Gentile world.  God’s church was coming together. As in any building project, adjustments needed to be made along the way.  We are going to look at one of those adjustments the early church had to make as we study Acts 15.

THE CONTROVERSY

Paul and Barnabus had returned from their first missionary journey.  While they were sharing about their experiences in Antioch we are told, “some men came from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

In verse 5 we are told, “some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.” 

The message Paul and Barnabus had been preaching was simple: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”  They believed Salvation was by grace alone through faith alone.  Their opponents believed more was required. 

THE CONFERENCE

The disagreement was so heated that it threatened to divide the church.  In wisdom, the various parties decided to meet in Jerusalem to have a church council and resolve the issue.  Don’t miss the point that these leaders understood the importance of unity.  Rather than simply go off and start their own version of the church they came together and worked to find God’s will and gain understanding and resolution.

We are told there was “much discussion” (v.7).  The lines were drawn between those who believed the rituals of Judaism were required for salvation and those who believed we could contribute nothing to our salvation.

The first major speaker was Peter.  He made some important points.

·        God was the one who sent Peter to the Gentiles (Cornelius, chapter 10)

·        When these people believed they were given the Holy Spirit

·        The Gentiles experience paralleled the experience of the converted Jews

·        To require the Gentile converts to obey the Jewish ceremonies was to put on them a “yoke that neither we nor our Fathers have been able to bear.” (v. 10)

·        Peter concludes by saying, “We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that WE are saved, just like they are”.  In other words, “we were not saved by our works any more than these people are.”

Peter argued effectively that the Jewish Christians were not saved because of the things they did . . .but because of God’s gracious act in sending Christ as a payment for our sin. He contended that good works were not a prerequisite for salvation.

Next Barnabus and Paul told of their journeys and the evidence that they saw that God was pleased to accept the Gentiles by faith alone.  In Titus 3:5 Paul wrote,

5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Finally, James came to the podium.  James was the half-brother of Jesus and had been saved around the time of the resurrection.  We are told that Jesus appeared to James after His resurrection.  He appears to have been the chief leader in the church.

James turned to the Old Testament book of Amos and pointed to one of many prophecies that seemed to indicate that the Gentiles would become part of the family of God.  His conclusion was, “we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.”  James suggested a “compromise” of sort.  He suggested that a letter be sent to the new believers

telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” [20,21]

James was not saying that these things were a requirement for salvation.  James was suggesting that the Gentile believers (who were genuine brothers and sisters in Christ) respect the beliefs of the Jewish believers.  He was asking them to limit their freedom for the sake of their brothers.

THE CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE

The question for us is simple: Why should we care about this early church conference? We should care because it addresses an essential question: “What is necessary for a person to be saved?  What is required before a person can be forgiven and made new?”   

In Romans 3:28 Paul wrote, “We maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. “

There are three approaches to salvation today.  They can best be stated as formulas:

            Faith + Works = Justification

 

This is the most popular view of salvation.  The idea is pretty simple.  You must believe in Jesus and do the right things.  In Acts 15 the opponents of Paul and Barnabus said you had to believe in Jesus and observe the Jewish traditions.  They believed we had to have faith AND . . .

 

This distortion of the gospel is much more prevalent than you might think.  It is not just found in Catholicism but in many Protestant Churches as well.  Let’s take a little quiz.  What do you think you need to do to be saved?

·        Do you have to be baptized?

·        Do you have to eliminate certain vices? (Smoking, drinking, etc.)

·        Do you have to have to hold a certain theological belief?

·        Do you have to be a member of a certain kind of church?

·        Do you have to have a certain religious experience?

·        Do you need to prefer a certain version of the Bible?

·        Do you need to dress a certain way (eliminate earrings, tattoos, etc.)?

·        Do you have to say a certain prayer?

·        Do you have to walk an aisle or raise your hand?

 

If you believe any of these things are necessary before you can be made right with God you are following the error of the men in Acts 15.  You believe in Faith plus works.

 

The second view is a swing of the pendulum in an opposite direction.  We can state it this way:

 

            Faith = Justification - works

 

Many Protestant Churches go to an opposite extreme.  They teach we are saved by trusting Christ alone and even if we live the rest of our life following the ways of the world, we will be saved.  In other words, if you are in an evangelistic meeting when you are a teenager and you “go forward” in a meeting and pray a prayer asking Christ to be your Savior you are saved . . . even if you walk away from the church and do not appear to grow in the likeness of Christ.

 

These people are trying hard to protect the idea of salvation by faith alone, but they have misunderstood the nature of faith.

 

The third view can be stated this way:

            Faith = Justificationè Works

 

We see this stated most clearly in Ephesians 2,

God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

 

We are not saved because of anything that we do.  However, when we receive God’s grace through faith, we receive the Holy Spirit who begins the process of change in us.  The Reformers used to say, we are saved by grace through faith alone . . .but not by a faith that is alone.

 

True Biblical faith involves three dimensions:  understanding, belief, and commitment.  We must understand that Jesus, the God-Man gave His life as a payment for our sin.  We must know that He rose from the dead and opened the door of eternity to all who would believe. If a person does not understand this they may have faith but it is misplaced faith.

 

Second, we must believe.  It is one thing to know something it is another to believe it.  The second group of people tell you that this belief will save you.  Unfortunately, James tells us that even the demons believe.  Faith is something deeper than knowledge and assent or belief.  True faith involves surrender and commitment to the truth you say you believe.

 

With the football season upon us we will see more United Way commercials.  One of my favorite commercials shows an NFL player who is teaching a group of kids about trust.  He stands behind them and they close their eyes, put their hands across their chest, and then fall backwards believing this player will catch them and of course, He does.  At the end of the commercial the roles are reversed this little guy is shown standing behind the big football player and the football player starts to fall backwards . . . the kid’s eyes grow large and he steps out of the way!

 

In a sense this is a good illustration of the elements of faith.  It is not enough to know that a trusting person will allow another to catch them.  It is not enough to believe that if you fall backward the person behind you will catch you.  Real faith, Biblical faith, is actually allowing yourself to fall into the arms of that person.  Real faith is being willing to fall into the arms of Jesus who will NEVER step out of the way.  Real faith puts your life in His hands. 

 

The leaders of the Reformation summarized true Biblical understanding with five simple Latin phrases

 

CONCLUSIONS

 

I know this is a rather theological message.  But it is of vital importance and a correct understanding of this truth will yield several practical results. First, it means you don’t have to put off coming to God.  You don’t have to reform your life before you can experience His transforming forgiveness.  

 

There are some of you who are here today hoping your church attendance is going to earn you credit for salvation.  You are working hard trying to do the right things in the hope that God will be pleased and let you into Heaven when you die.  The problem is that you know the truth.  You know your heart is stained.  You know the things you think about; you know the way you manipulate situations; you know those things you dream and do in secret; you know the times you knew what was right to do, but you refused to do it.  Deep down you know you can’t be “good enough” to get to Heaven.  Apart from God’s grace and mercy, we have no real hope no matter how much we try to pretend otherwise.

 

A little boy came to the Washington Monument and noticed a guard standing by it.  The little boy looked up at the guard and said, "I want to buy it."  The guard stooped down and says, "How much do you have?"  The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out 25 cents.  The guard said, "That's not enough."  The boy replied, "I thought you would say that."  So he pulled out nine cents more.  The guard looked down at the boy and said, "You need to understand three things.  First, 34 cents is not enough, 34 million dollars is not enough to buy the Washington Monument.  Second, the Washington Monument is not for sale.  And third, if you are an American citizen, the Washington Monument already belongs to you."  We need to understand three things about forgiveness.  First, we cannot earn it.  Second, it is not for sale.  Third, if we trust Christ as our Savior, we already have it.

 

Second, we must understand these things because it will change the way we look at others.  We claim salvation by God’s grace but then we want to require everyone else to work for their salvation.  We are quick to put up barriers and to set up requirements for others.  God’s grace is extended to any who will believe,

 

Any of these people can have eternal life if they will receive the gift of grace.  They are no different than you and me.  Their sin may be more public and perhaps more socially offensive but there sin does not put them any further from God’s offer of salvation than you and me.  You have received God’s grace you should likewise extend it.

 

Finally, a right understanding of this message of grace allows us to live joyfully and confidently. You have never been loved like this before.  God loves you as you are.  Finally, you have a relationship where you can be completely honest.  You can get off the treadmill of trying to perform.  You can come as you are.  You can be made new.  You can be set free.  The Bible calls that grace.  It is received by falling into the arms of the One who gave His life for you.  And once you have experienced His embrace you will never want to leave. You will discover a joy you didn’t know existed.  And your only regret will be that you did not come sooner.

ÓCopyright 2003 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche, September 7, 2003