The Law or Grace

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE LAW OR GRACE

Acts 15:5-11

5 Then 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." 6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

NIV

We find it interesting that there were believers who still ascribed to the Pharisees' party. Without going into extreme depth of all their religious beliefs, the Pharisees adhered to the Torah as well as oral traditions. They did believe in the resurrection and an afterlife, and they practiced ritual purity and dietary laws. It is difficult to see how someone who became a follower of Jesus, a believer, could still ascribe to the Pharisaical ideas of Jewish life. Yet, they were the ones who insisted the Gentiles should be circumcised and obey the law of Moses, in essence, become a Jew. How can a believer feel that others should follow the law when they cannot follow it perfectly? Peter, one who is filled with the Spirit, made it clear that God does not show favoritism and considers all men, Jews and Gentiles, equal. God makes no distinction between all his creation, as he pours out his Spirit on all people. Of course, the Gentiles chose to accept the word of God, turn from their idols to the One True God, accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is by grace and grace alone that they were saved, and that applies to our lives as well. Once we have been freed from the yoke of bondage, we should not put another yoke or burden of slavery on ourselves by trying to live under some kind of law, rules, or regulations we think make us holy or righteous. We should take upon the yoke of Jesus and learn from him, for he is gentle and humble of heart. Let us live within the grace of God, loving and learning from Jesus. There is nothing that we can do that would make us more holy or more righteous than the grace of God has already done. Because by faith we are saved and not by work lest any of us can boast. Why do some still want the works to define their lives? Why do some want to boast about how holy or righteous they are? Are we not all sinners who are saved by grace? Sure, we want to live to please the Lord. Sure, we want to do the right things and abstain from evil. But some have almost gone the way of the Pharisees, believing in a set of laws we must abide by to be a "Good Christian." Let us not burden ourselves with the yoke of the law, but let us live as followers of Jesus. It is either the law or grace, not both. 

The Circumcised Heart

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE CIRCUMCISED HEART

Acts 15:1-4

15:1 Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

NIV

There is going to be much discussion among the apostles and elders in Jerusalem about this matter of Gentiles needing to be circumcised, that is, to become a Jew to be saved. We know the outcome of that debate, with Peter making the strongest case that the Gentiles need not be burdened with circumcision, since the Holy Spirit was poured out on them just as on the believers in Jerusalem. We do not have any restrictions or requirements for becoming a follower of Jesus, or, as some say, being saved. But then we start making up rules on how we think believers should live, with restrictions on certain things. One of the main objections among many believers is smoking and drinking wine or other adult beverages. However, the word tells us not to be drunk on wine, but to be filled with the Spirit. So then we should see the evidence of those who abstain from wine, that they are full of the Spirit. However, the main discussion is about the circumcision of the heart, rather than any outward sign needed to become a believer. We will see that the only admonishment was not to eat food that was sacrificed to idols, or strangled meat, or meat with the blood, or sexual immorality. Circumcision was taken off the table, not to burden believers with that act of the flesh. We would be good to take this truth to heart. It is not so much about what we should not eat or drink, but whether we have allowed the Lord to circumcise our hearts. Of course, we are supposed to rid ourselves of certain things, but they are all heart issues, like pride, envy, jealousy,  slander, which means gossip, bitterness, anger, deceit, and hypocrisy. It would be better for us to consider the condition of our hearts than what we should not eat or drink. If we are filled with the Spirit, he will lead us into all truth. Let us not worry about the restrictions, but let us open our hearts, having them filled with the Spirit, then we will live with circumcised hearts. 

Set Apart

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

SET APART

Acts 14:21-28

21 They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

NIV

This is almost like a travel log or the travel agenda of Paul and Barnabas, but there is some truth we need to ponder. First, they strengthened the believers and encouraged them to remain true to the faith. We might see Paul and Barnabas as doing the work of missionaries and so think that, as long as we support some of our modern-day missionaries, we have fulfilled our responsibility to strengthen and encourage some believers in a far-off land. Although Paul and Barnabas were set apart by the Holy Spirit, and men prayed and laid hands on the two of them before sending them on their way, there was no set of rules or denominational requirements they needed to meet to be the men of God they were, and do the work of the Lord among the people. They were set apart and filled, and led by the Holy Spirit, so they could boldly speak of the good news about the kingdom of God, with the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Because we are all told to build each other up, to speak words that build others up according to their needs, so that it might benefit them. We are also told to spur one another to love and good deeds. This is not just the work of missionaries but of all believers. Sure, Paul and Barbabas were set apart by the Holy Spirit, but has not the Spirit set all of us apart from the ways of the world? The Holy Spirit will lead us if we listen to his still, small voice within. Secondly, God opened doors for them, even though they experienced opposition, even stoning, and they told believers in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch that they must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God. This could refer to the fact that the Spirit of this world is opposed to the Spirit of Christ; therefore, it is possible that believers will experience the same kind of opposition, to the point of persecution or ridicule. However, that would mean we live openly as believers, boldly expressing our faith, even in the face of ridicule. We know the Spirit will open doors for us, so we are where we need to be, and voice our faith in Jesus Christ so others might turn from their wicked ways and turn to Jesus. Let us recognize our being set apart to do the work of the Lord. [i]

 

 

 

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[i] 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Ephesians 4:29

Hebrews 10:24-25

Romans 14:19 

The Mythical and the Truth

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE MYTHICAL AND THE TRUTH

Acts 14:11-20

11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. 16 In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them. 19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

NIV

Why would men want to believe in that which is not true, rather than consider the truth of God? Because Paul and Barnabas were filled with the Spirit and empowered to perform miraculous signs and wonders, the townspeople thought they were two of the mythical Greek gods. Because Zeus and Hermes have never been seen by anyone, as they are mythical, not real, people believed that when they saw what Paul and Barnabas did, it was an easy leap to believe their gods were real. Paul and Barnabas would have nothing to do with them, believing them to be gods, so they tore their garments in an effort to prove they were just men, like everyone else. Here is the central truth of this narrative in Lystra. The good news is meant to turn people from worthless things to the living God. How can people deny that the rain comes from the Living God? How can people deny that all the food we have to eat comes from the hand of God, for he spoke all plants into existence and all the livestock. Yet they would rather believe in false gods that have no ears to hear, eyes to see, or a mouth to speak. But now the people of Lystra believed they had two of them when they saw the crippled man walk. We wonder if even believers can be deceived by falsehoods. Yet that is the case when so many listen to those silver-tongued purveyors of deception who tickle the ears and hearts with falsehoods, that God wants them to be wealthy, and to live in material abundance. Not that he wants us to be poor and live without any material things. But life should not be about satisfying ourselves or living a self-oriented life. Life is about loving the Lord with our whole self, our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We should be living a God-centered life because we see the evidence of his majestic power and authority all around us. The whole earth and all that is in it testify to God being the creator and the giver of life. We can see that others who came to Lystra, Jews who were completely opposed to the truth of God, were stuck in their own form of religion, which came to turn the people who first wanted to worship Paul and Barnabas, now wanted to stone them.  Why would men rather believe in men than God? If we are honest with ourselves, we understand that all people can lie, but God never lies; he tells only the truth, for he is the truth. There is the mythical, then there is truth. 

Evidence of Faith

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

EVIDENCE OF FAITH

Acts 14:8-10

8 In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

NIV

This is going to turn ugly after what happened regarding the man who was crippled in his feet from birth. However, before the results of this healing, we want to focus on that for a moment. We notice this lame man was listening to Paul as he spoke about the good news of Jesus Christ. That good news must have included the fact that Jesus was the Son of God who came to earth in human form, went to the cross for the forgiveness of sins, was resurrected, and, after his ascension, sent the Holy Spirit to empower believers. We don't know everything Paul said, but it had to include all that and more. The point that this lame man listened and believed so much that he felt he could be healed. His faith was evident to Paul. What was the evidence of this man's faith that he could be healed? Was it a look in his eyes? Was there a glow on his face? Did he appear enlightened, light up, filled with excitement of standing up and walking for the first time in his life? Whatever it was in this crippled man's appearance, Paul saw it and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. He didn't just stand up, he jumped up. The Greek word here carries that meaning of jumping, leaping, springing up. We wonder why we do not see that kind of healing in many of the churches today. Maybe we just do not have that kind of faith to be healed. Could one person have enough faith for someone else to be healed? This narrative tells us that the man's faith caused his healing. It was the same with the woman who knew that if she could just touch the hem of his garment, she would be healed. One by one, we could go through all the healings in scripture, and most of them result from the faith of the one being healed. Some, such as the lame man that Peter and John saw on their way to the temple, it was Peter's faith that led him to tell the man to stand up and walk in the name of Jesus. Still, all healings are for the expressed reason to bring glory to God in the highest. It is good to experience a healing in the name of Jesus. A healing can give relief from some sickness, pain, or infirmity. However, is it possible that we have become comfortable in some sense, being a crippled Christian? Is it possible that we have put too much faith in man's medical profession than in Jesus? We wonder why they call it "practicing medicine." When Jesus never needed to practice healing, he just did. Paul didn't need to practice either; he simply saw the evidence of this crippled man's faith and told him to stand up. Is our faith evident? 

Never Stop Preaching

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

NEVER STOP PREACHING

Acts 14:1-7

14:1 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. 4 The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. 5 There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. 6 But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 7 where they continued to preach the good news.

NIV

Why does the truth divide people so much? The truth is the truth, yet some people refuse to listen even when they hear it. Why is it that those who refuse to believe the truth want to poison the minds of others? From this narrative, the Jews who stirred up the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas used an age-old principle of trying to destroy the character of their opponents, to the point of physically harming them. Yet, no matter the situation, Paul and Barnabas continued to speak boldly about the message of grace, and they were enabled to perform miraculous signs and wonders. We wonder if we were to speak the message of grace as boldly as they did, we might be enabled to do miraculous signs and wonders in the presence of those who oppose God's grace. Sure, it is good to spend time with other believers, but we cannot simply hide within the walls of the church, so to speak. Looking out at the sinners with judgmentalism. Sure, Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogues first with the message about Jesus, the grace of God. Some believed, some were stuck in the law of Moses, and opposed their message openly. Of course, we are not going to convince everyone; in fact, we are not supposed to convince them, that is the work of the Holy Spirit. We are only supposed to tell them the truth about the grace of God. The question is, how can we do that? Where can we interact with unbelievers? Maybe the younger employed believers work with unbelievers and have the daily opportunity to share the message, but what about those who are no longer in the work force, retired, old, and maybe even a bit feeble or sickly? How do they fulfill the great commission of going into all the world and preaching the good news to everyone? What if we stood in some store and just started sharing the good news boldly? Would we be asked to leave? Would they call the police on us? Maybe, just maybe, some would listen, some would believe the message of God's grace. Maybe if we were that bold, we might be enabled to do some miraculous signs or wonders. Who knows, if we never speak up, we will never know. Paul and Barnabas never stopped; they continued to preach the good news. Could we do that? Could we never stop preaching the good news? 

Being Full

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

BEING FULL

Acts 13:49-52

49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51 So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

NIV

It is sad that some people not only reject the truth but also become vindictive by outwardly opposing the truth and inciting others to their cause against Jesus. Paul and Barnabas were expelled, told to leave the region. The people did not want to hear anymore; they were content to live in the darkness of their minds. There is a good possibility that they were inspired by the evil one, who is always opposed to God. It may be like that song by Bob Dylan, "You gotta serve somebody, you're either gonna serve the Lord or serve the devil, but you gotta serve somebody". However, our lesson is not about persecution or expulsion from the region, though that does play into the truth we should ponder. Luke, in his account of the Acts of the Apostles, records that the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. We cannot wait for everything to become a bed of roses, so to speak, to be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. Whatever our circumstances in life, we can still be filled with joy. We cannot allow those things, anything that comes against us, to suck the joy out of our lives. If we begin to focus more on our aches and pains, an infirmity, or a difficult situation, or when things just are not going the way we think they should, we are giving in to them, and we could lose the joy. We know the joy of the Lord in our strength, as Nehemiah tells us. Jesus told us that because he loves us, just as the Father loves him, he gives us his joy so that our joy may be complete. What a promise, Jesus gives us his joy so we can be, not only filled with Joy, but have complete joy, which means full to the brim joy. This may not mean we are jumping, leaping, and praising God, but it also could mean that. Yet, joy is deep within, yet if we are full of joy and the Holy Spirit, surely our countenance would reflect it. We would think that a believer whose joy is complete, that is, they are completely full of joy and the Holy Spirit, would not be walking around pained-faced, with a downcast attitude, or appearance, but their joy would be pouring out of them, and the evidence of being full of the Spirit could be visibly seen. How can we be half full of joy or half full of the Holy Spirit? The opposite of being full is not just half full, but being empty.