Acts 15:3–5 Grace!

There will always be those who want the Gospel of God’s grace in Jesus Christ to be the gospel of works. If that were so God would not have sent His Son into the world to die for our sins.

It is not about our goodness and good works but about HIS!!

Grace, unmerited and undeserved. God’s gift of salvation in Christ Jesus.

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

“I Wish You” poem, a gratitude shout out to poet, Bob Perks.) Sabbath Moments 

“He pre-destined us to be adopted by Himself as sons through Jesus Christ—such being His gracious will and pleasure” (Ephesians 1:5). God moved you into his family. He changed your name, your address, he gave you a seat at the dining table.

A young woman once approached me after hearing a sermon on forgiveness. She had battled much rejection in her young life.  On this day she felt something different. She said, “I’ve made a discovery. I’m not an exception to acceptance.”

Neither are you. For heaven’s sake, accept your acceptance. No more self-recrimination. No more self-accusation. No more self-condemnation. Make grace your permanent address. God has made a covenant to love you with an everlasting love, and He will keep it. God never gives up on you. Max Lucado

Acts 15:3–5

3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. 4 And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. 5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.” The New King James Version

Later those who taught the need for circumcision among new believers were known as Judaizers. They wanted the Christian faith to become a sect of Judaism. In other words, they wanted Gentile believers to become Jewish proselytes. As proselytes, the Gentile believers would need to be circumcised as a sign of coming into the covenant of God along with the Jews. 

These people believed in Jesus Christ but were still identified as Pharisees. Jews who became followers of Christ could still be Pharisees. The same could not be said for the Sadducees, for they denied that there was a resurrection, and thus could not believe that Jesus had been raised from the dead. 

It is necessary to circumcise them summarizes the problem. Is salvation granted through faith alone? Or does a person have to have faith plus the works of the law in order to be forgiven by God? The NKJV Study Bible

The apostles recount their first journey. God’s work clearly demonstrates He has opened the door to the Gentiles. Apparently several Pharisees had converted to Christianity. Paul, also a Pharisee, will not agree with their sentiments. Faithlife Study Bible

Some from Judea taught the Gentile converts at Antioch, that they could not be saved, unless they observed the whole ceremonial law as given by Moses; and thus they sought to destroy Christian liberty. There is a strange proneness in us to think that all do wrong who do not just as we do. Their doctrine was very discouraging. Wise and good men desire to avoid contests and disputes as far as they can; yet when false teachers oppose the main truths of the gospel, or bring in hurtful doctrines, we must not decline to oppose them. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Acts 14:27 Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

Acts 15:12 Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles.