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Join Date: Oct 2013
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Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You
Essential Faith
"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.' 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. 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. 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. 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.'
The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 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. 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. 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 15:1-11
A debate arose in the early church about the requirements for salvation. It was believed by some that to be saved, Gentile believers must follow the customs and laws of Moses, including circumcision. This belief threatened the unity of believers.
We see Paul, Barnabas, and other believers leave for Jerusalem to address this issue with the apostles and elders. What transpired was a discussion about essential beliefs. May we all strive to promote unity within the body of Christ as we focus on the gospel's essential message.
Peter stood up among the people to question what they were saying, asking why they would call for a requirement they could not fulfill. He began telling the stories of Gentiles and how the Holy Spirit brought transformation regardless of their background. Peter's words affirm that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ and not works. Christianity does not require any work for salvation, unlike all other religions.
Thankfully, we do not live under the Old Testament law, where people were required to live a certain way and do certain things to be made right with God. As we see what happened in the Garden of Eden, man could not fulfill those requirements. People have put on human requirements for salvation that are not from God. People hear they must clean up their lives before coming to Christ, or they must go to a particular church, or dress a certain way, and if they do not do these actions or others, they cannot receive salvation. You will not find anywhere in the Bible where God has works requirements for a person to receive salvation. The Bible is clear that a person must confess his sins, believe in Jesus, and publicly proclaim that Jesus is Lord. It is trusting in the grace, mercy and atoning work of Jesus that brings salvation, not any work or action of our own doing.
Acts 15 is a beautiful reminder to followers of Jesus that our unity is grounded in our faith in Christ. May you be free from legalism and artificial requirements or expectations, knowing that what matters most is the condition of our hearts and our faith in God.
Heavenly Father, thank You for salvation through Jesus. Lord, let us take this lesson to heart, seeking unity with fellow believers and placing our trust in the grace that flows from the cross of Christ. Lord Jesus, may we live out our spiritual walk with humility, love, and a life-long commitment to the gospel -- that salvation is a gift from God, received through faith, and available to all who believe. Amen
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I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
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