Acts 15

Every week Don sends me his sermon to look over. This week he sent it to me and something really punched me in the mouth.

In Acts 15 the Jews and the Gentiles were fighting about how to be 'saved'. The jews were in one corner representing circumcision and the Gentiles were in the other corner representing Grace. For the record, if I had to choose it would be grace. They couldn't decided between themselves so they traveled to Jerusalem to have the decision made by a counsel there.

It was beneficial for me to read this passage in light of some of the thoughts that I have been thinking lately.

I have really been struggling through some thoughts of Religion (bad) vs Grace. I would have said, pretty much my whole life, that I believe that Salvation is obviously through grace. And I would still say that. But I think that as I have gotten away from more fundamental churches I realized that I live my life like my salvation is dependent on religion. I have a list of unspoken rules that I need to follow because I am a christian, I have a list of things that I can't do because I am a christian.

When In reality my love for Christ is what should determine what I do or don't do. As more time passes I am realizing how freeing this really is. I don't have a list of rules to do, I don't have a list of things I can't do. I have one goal, and that is to love Christ.

I am not saying I can go do whatever I want, when I want. I am saying that If I love Christ like I should be; If I am enamored with his beauty like he deserves to be, my actions will be in line with what is pleasing to him.

This has all been very challenging for me to get through, but man is it fun to see God hammer home something that he is trying to teach you. I have been getting this lesson from all fronts lately.