The Gospel and Salvation
Act 15:1-19
Digging Deeper
KEY QUOTES
"Faith in THE GOSPEL saves you from the penalty of sin and welcomes you into the life of the King and His Kingdom."
"God has sent the rightful KING of all creation, Jesus Christ, to earth, who, through His substitutionary death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, is in the process of redeeming and restoring human beings from every nation, tribe, and tongue and the cosmos from the curse of sin.”
"Jesus Christ, the cosmic King of the universe, has come and, through His death and resurrection, is making all things new."
1 John 4:9-10 states, "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." What a wonderful and encouraging message. God loves and wants to be in relationship with us. God is on mission to redeem a people from all people to reflect His glory in all spheres of life.
In Acts 15, the question arose in the early church in Antioch of what the Gentiles, who were not Jewish, needed to do to be saved. Paul and Barnabus stood up and defended the Gospel message that everyone was saved by faith and not by works or specific cultural requirements that needed to be performed. When agreement couldn't be reached between the believers, Paul and Barnabas traveled to meet with the leadership of the Jerusalem church and present the situation. Representing the Jerusalem Council, James made it clear that Gentile believers were saved by faith, not by works, and that following Jewish law and customs was not required by the Gentile believers.
Like Paul and Barnabus, all believers need to know the Bible and understand what it teaches to defend the faith from others who might try to misrepresent it. While we strive to be at peace with others, there are times when believers need to stand up for what is essential and true and seek Godly wisdom, not compromising the principles of our faith.
WHAT NOT TO MISS
Main point:
Faith in THE GOSPEL saves you from the penalty of sin and welcomes you into the life of the King and His Kingdom.
A Biblical Definition of The GOSPEL
God has sent the rightful KING of all creation, Jesus Christ, to earth, who, through His substitutionary death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, is in the process of redeeming and restoring human beings from every nation, tribe, and tongue and the cosmos from the curse of sin.
Summarize it by saying:
Jesus Christ, the rightful cosmic King of the universe, has come and, through His death and resurrection, is making all things new.
1. The Gospel is for ALL PEOPLE and thus will form a diverse COMMUNITY.
The Gospel is good news for the entire world!
2. The Gospel might get CONFUSED by some in that community.
In Acts 15:1-19, there was confusion regarding what "saves" people.
3. The Gospel will need to be CLARIFIED in the community so people are not hindered from being saved.
In the early church, the church leaders of the community came together and had a very vibrant and intense discussion and debate (heated talk/argument).
This meeting behind closed doors was vital for the flourishing of the Gospel among the nations.
The GOSPEL is clarified by using the SCRIPTURES!
The Jewish believers needed clarification because they wanted Gentile believers to become good and faithful Jews.
They were trying to apply their Old Covenant understanding of Promise/Confirmation (Circumcision) and Identity/Law to the Gentiles.
They had two big misunderstandings.
The seal/confirmation and the adherence to the law didn't save.
In Jesus, those things were fulfilled.
The clarification that James, Peter, Paul and Barnabas made of the GOSPEL was that:
Faith in Jesus does not lead you to become a good and faithful follower of Judaism, but a good and faithful follower of Jesus.
Faith in Jesus does not lead you to become a good and faithful follower of Western Christianity, but a good and faithful follower of Jesus.
Faith in Jesus does not lead you to become a good and faithful follower of the Republican/Democratic party, but a good and faithful follower of Jesus.
Faith in Jesus does not lead you to become a good and faithful follower of Catholicism, Protestantism, or Evangelicalism, or any "ism"—but a good and faithful follower of Jesus.
The Gospel:
God has sent the rightful KING of all creation, Jesus Christ, to earth, who, through His substitutionary death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, is in the process of redeeming and restoring human beings from every nation, tribe, and tongue and the cosmos from the curse of sin.
How is one saved by the GOSPEL?
A messenger shares the GOSPEL announcement.
The hearer, in a particular context, hears the GOSPEL announcement.
The Spirit divinely works through the delivery and reception and, by grace, gives understanding to the receiver of the GOSPEL.
The receiver responds to the GOSPEL through FAITH.
Faith = Belief in, Confidence in, Trust in.
Faith in THE GOSPEL saves you from the penalty of sin and welcomes you into the life of the King and His Kingdom.
LIFE APPLICATION
During this week, commit to learning about the Gospel so that you can share or defend it with someone else. A suggestion for learning about the Gospel would be to listen to this week's sermon video, noting references to the Old and New Testament scriptures, and check out the information in the article, What is the Gospel?
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
When have you had to defend something that you felt was important?
How did the Antioch church handle the conflict concerning Gentile believers?
Why was the defense of the Gospel relating to the Gentiles a critical issue for the early church?
Why is understanding what we Biblically believe critically crucial to keeping today's church vibrant, healthy and strong?
How can believers become more rooted and grounded in what the Bible teaches about the Gospel?
DAILY DEVOTIONAL BIBLE PASSAGES
Day 1: Empowered by the Gospel-Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 1:16; Romans 10:9-13
Day 2: Empowered by Grace-1 Corinthians 12:9-10; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; Romans 5:20-21; Ephesians 2:8-9
Day 3: Empowered by God's Word-Hebrews 4:12; Joshua 1:8; James 1:22-25
Day 4: Empowered by the Holy Spirit-Romans 8:26; Romans 5:22-23; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Day 5: Empowered by Love-Romans 8:38-39; 1 John 4:16; Ephesians 3:17-18
PRAYER
Lord, I ask that you guide me as I seek to become more grounded and rooted in my faith. Help me to learn and study what the Bible teaches so that I can be an effective and accurate witness to others who need to know about the Gospel and King Jesus. Give me discernment when I need to seek out others who can teach and guide me in complex areas of the faith. Let other believers mentor and disciple me as my heart desires to become a more confident and strong witness for You.
