Salvation Through The Law
Salvation according to the law. Could we be beneficiaries of salvation according to the law and enjoy salvation by faith in Jesus Christ simultaneously?
Do these two things work together? Today, I shall explore the benefits of salvation according to the Law of Moses and salvation by the faith of Jesus Christ.
We continue our Book of Acts Bible study and today we are at a new Chapter, Acts 15. And of course, we’re going to start at Verse 1, moving down verse by verse.
I hope you have been getting massive benefits from these weekly Bible studies.
I have been enjoying them and learning a lot. It has also been a refresher for me because it has been a while since I have done a Book of Acts Bible study.
Hi, I am Leroy. I run a website, Blogging About the Word, and this YouTube channel where I teach Christians how to understand their Bible better.
I hope we will have a productive time today. So let’s begin with our scripture reading, Acts 15:1.
If you would rather watch the video Bible study click this link
“And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.”
Acts 15:1
Paul & Barnabas Has This to Say About Salvation According to the Law…
Now Paul and Barnabas had completed their first missionary journey and they were taking it easy in Antioch of Syria.
So, they finished their first missionary journey, my last Bible study was about that. I’ll leave a link to it in the description below this video.
However, not before long, they had a crisis on their hands. Renegade Christians came down from Judaea and were teaching the brethren a new doctrine.
One that they were not authorized to teach, and of course they had many willing and listening ears.
They proclaimed to the Christians in Antioch, unless you experience circumcision according to the teaching of Moses, then you have no salvation with Jesus Christ.
Now of course this didn’t sit well with Paul and Barnabas and many of the other apostles. Therefore, they had many heated debates over this doctrine.
This is nothing new. In fact, it’s an old problem wearing new clothes, all right.
In concept, it’s not different from the doctrine that proposes that if Gentiles or Greeks don’t keep the Sabbath holy they cannot be saved.
We have a group of ‘Christians’ who teach this today. They say, if you don’t keep the Sabbath and go to church on the seventh day you’re not saved, it’s the same thing.
Old Doctrine In New Clothes!
The apostles confronted a similar problem. They dealt with a similar problem in Acts 15, where brethren were teaching that all Greeks if they are not circumcised they can’t be saved.
This is similar in concept to what the Seventh Day Adventists Church teaches today.
Subsequently, the solution the church proposed for that problem will solve this problem that we are having today.
Because it’s the identical doctrine seeing from a different perspective.
“When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, [so Paul and Barnabas contended with them about this Doctrine, not a small one it was a big debate, it must have dragged on for an extended time] they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.”
Acts 15:2
So after it was debated and dragged out then certain of the elders said, ‘look let’s go up to the church at Jerusalem and let them trash this out.
If Nobody will rejoice over the conversion of the Gentiles, the city of Samaria will. They experienced salvation firsthand via the hand of the Apostle Philip.
Remember, I did a Bible study about what happened when Samaria heard the preaching of Jesus Christ.
“And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.”
Acts 15:3
Salvation According to The Law
Yes, that’s what I meant when I said if nobody will rejoice about the conversion of the brethren, Samaria will, they experienced that firsthand through Apostle Philip.
Whenever people hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and don’t believe it, it causes much sorrow. On the other hand, when they do and believe it, it also causes great joy to all the believers and to angels too.
So either way, it’s a source of sorrow or joy, but we prefer the latter. We prefer when people believe the gospel of Jesus Christ and give their hearts to him.
Heaven rejoiced and earth rejoiced, and the believer rejoices, of course.
“And when they were come to Jerusalem, [so they reached Jerusalem] they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.”
Acts 15:4
Is The Law For Salvation?
Salvation according to the law only happens when religion rules, let’s look at Acts 15:5.
There is no provision in the law for salvation. According to it, you either do or die!
“But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
Acts 15:5
So even among the Believers, you will find that there will be religious people.
Yeah, they believed the gospel but they were still holding on to religion. They were holding on to religion to the extent that it overpowered their belief in Jesus Christ.
So, do you know what will dominate their lives? The religious part of this scenario, they will give that more preeminence than their belief in Christ and this is what happened to these Believers.
They were Pharisees. They were strict upholders of the law of Moses. But they were saying, yes, we are Pharisees, so we think this group of people should be circumcised in order to experience salvation.
But they are not even looking at it from the perspective of the Greeks or what Jesus said or did.
They are just using their own religious traditions and God knows what else to judge these other people. And this happens today too. People use their own traditions to judge others!
Did Jesus Teach Salvation Through Law?
Because they go to church on Saturday they want you to go to church on Saturday too; because they get baptized calling on the name of the father and the son of the Holy Ghost, they want you to get baptized that way and not get baptized saying in the name of Jesus Christ. They are using their own confines to judge you. Having experienced Jesus Christ as your savior, how could you revert to the old beggarly elements of the law? This could only happen if you thought that your salvation is according to the law and not by the fate of Jesus Christ.
“And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.”
Acts 15:6
So this matter now reached the leaders of the church and they convened to discuss and address it. So salvation according to Peter for the Greeks.
We’re going to see different pockets of Apostles giving their views on this question of whether or not the Greeks should be circumcised according to the law of Moses in order for them to experience salvation.
So different pockets of Apostles will present their views, starting with Peter.
“And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.”
Acts 15:7
He was here just blowing his own horn, as far as I am concerned. Acts 15:7.
How Does God Define Salvation?
He does this through the dictions of the Bible. The conversations and the narrations of salvation is how God defines salvation.
“And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
Acts 15:8
This is an important distinction he’s making here though because he’s saying because God gave Cornelius and his household the gift of the Holy Ghost, that shows that there’s no distinction in the eyes of God between the Jews and the Gentiles because he gave the Jews the same gift of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost.
Now in Acts 10, he gave Cornelius and his household the identical gift that he gave to the Jews on that day. So the Lord is showing that he sees both the Jews and the Gentiles as one, by the giving of the same gift to two different groups of people and that’s an important distinction.
“And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.”
Acts 15:9
So you see when we receive the Holy Ghost it cleans our hearts, it gives us new hearts.
“Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?”
Acts 15:10
You’re right about that.
Which Denomination Believes In Salvation Through Law?
“But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.”
Acts 15:11
He is correct. So Peter is saying, well, because God made no distinction between them, by the grace of God, the Gentiles will be saved and we will be saved by the same power.
Now let’s move on to another group of Apostles giving their view and mainly Paul and Barnabas, so Paul and Barnabas’ thoughts on salvation for the Greeks.
“Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Paul and Barnabas, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.”
Acts 15:12
When did this happen? As they traversed the first missionary journey. That’s what Paul and Barnabas is talking about there you know.
How the Lord used them on the first missionary journey, that’s what they’re reporting through this, that’s what this means here, okay, and that’s in Acts 15:12.
So we don’t have to go into details about this because we already did that in looking at the first missionary journey, Paul’s first missionary journey. Now let’s look at James’s thoughts on salvation for the Greeks.
“And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:”
Acts 15:13
“Simeon hath declare how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.” And he has done so.”
Acts 15:14
Salvation Under The Law
“And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
Acts 15:15
“After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:”
Acts 15:16
“That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.”
Acts 15:17
Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.”
Acts 15:18
So you see what James was doing there? James was using the principle of the second witness he went back to the Old Testament, quoting from the Old Testament to support what he’s saying here, all right.
So salvation according to the law of Christ now, James continues.
“Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, [meaning the Gentiles] which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
Acts 15:19
What Do Adventists Believe About Salvation?
“But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.”
Acts 15:20
For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Acts 15:21
Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
Acts 15:22
“And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.”
Acts 15: 23
“Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:”
Acts 15:24
Salvation By Faith
So you see these brethren that came from Judaea preaching that you must be circumcised to be saved didn’t receive it from the head of the church, they took it on to themselves to teach this doctrine.
“It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,”
Acts 15:25
Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 15:26
We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things.
That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.” Acts 15:29.
As you read your Bible, you will observe these exact requirements, Paul is going to tell Timothy to abstain from these things, things offered to idols, from blood, from strangled meat, and from fornication, those four things, he is always emphasizing it when it comes to the Gentile Believers.
Conclusion
So, let me conclude. Here, some of the main Apostles gave their opinions about whether you must be circumcised to be saved.
However, observe that none of them informed the Gentiles to keep the Law and none of them told the Gentile Church to keep the Sabbath and to be circumcised.
Instead, they all concluded and summarized the behavior of the Gentile church under a few main headings.
They mainly should avoid blood, (this is the consumption of it), fornication, food offered to idols, and strangled meat.
Consequently, we will realize that our Salvation is not according to the law or according to the apostles. But by the work and faith of the only Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ.
What we do and say are important. We cannot declare that we are servants of Jesus Christ, yet, we are following the Law of Moses because the two are contrary.
Salvation According To The Disciples
We are either serving Christ or the Law. We cannot serve both together. It can’t happen, because they are really contrary. We must do as we say and say as we do.
The law of Moses requires work. But the law of Christ requires faith in him.
Faith in his finished work and once we have faith in the finished work of Christ, then we enjoy salvation. It is through that and not by what we do or by any of the rituals of the law because Christ has already completed that for us.
Therefore, our Salvation is never according to the Law but according to our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
That’s where our salvation resides, not in anything else. Not in what other people think or do, nothing like that, it’s all in Christ.
Don’t lose your focus. Keep Christ at the center. What he says and does, or is doing is what we must always listen to, remember, do and keep on doing until the end of time.
Thank you for your time, I bless you in the mighty name of Jesus. The blessings of the Lord are on you and I’ll see you in the next video.
