2022-09-11 Getting the Gospel Right (2): Truth Defended

GETTING THE GOSPEL RIGHT (2): TRUTH DEFENDED (Acts 15:7-21) September 11, 2022 Read Acts 15:7-21 - There's trouble in Antioch. Paul preaches salvation is by grace alone, thru faith alone, in Christ alone. But now some legalists from Jerusalem show up, "It's not Christ alone; it's Christ plus circumcision - and the whole Jewish law." The "Jesus plus" movement has come to town. So, P&B and others were sent to the apostles Jerusalem to settle the issue once and for all. They made a triumphal march of reports of Gentiles coming to faith in Christ. And they were welcomed warmly by most in Jerusalem. But there were some dissenters. 5 "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." So is it Christ alone; or Christ plus? Much debate went on. But then Peter, Paul and James speak, and the issue is soon clearly decided. It's Christ alone as pictured in the OT and taught in the NT. To add to Christ isn't just a minor faux paux. It nullifies Christ's atoning death. You can't add to Christ without cutting Christ off completely: Gal 5:4a: "You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by law." It's not a minor point; it is eternally fatal to add to Christ. That's what we'll see today. Last week we saw Truth Distorted; today Truth Defended; next week Truth Delivered. Here's how we know it's Christ alone. IV. The Definitive Consideration Others appealed to tradition; Peter, Paul and Jas appeal directly to God to make their case. It's not a matter of human opinion; it is a matter of divine revelation. By the time they are done, they've presented an airtight case. A. Appeal to God's Gifts Proves Salvation by Faith Alone 1. God's Gift of the Spirit - Peter reiterates his experience at Cornelius' home a decade earlier - long enough that some had apparently forgotten! 7b) "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. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us." This is a pivotal event. God sent him against his own inclination to Cornelius in answer to his seeking heart. God had instructed Cornelius where to find Peter and promised, Acts 11:14: "He will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household." So Peter went, taking along 6 companions. When he got there, he found a ready-made audience consisting of Cornelius and "his relatives and close friends" (Acts 10:24c) - "many persons" (v. 27). Peter began to preach the gospel. "Jesus, despite coming from God, doing much good and many signs, was crucified by His own people. Yet God raised Him and He appeared to many, including us here today. He will judge the living and the dead - but "everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name" (Acts 10:43). He didn't mention circumcision, feast days or Law. Just repent and believe in Him - the gospel. And amazing happened! Peter didn't even finish his sermon. Acts 10:44: "While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles." Even as these people listened, their minds got it, and their hearts responded. Bam! Just like that saving faith was unleashed and the HS came to them. No raised hands; no going down the aisle; no filling out a card; no oral confession of faith; no special prayer - just hearts reaching out to God in faith and God responding with the HS He gives to all believers. But how did Peter know the HS came? Acts 10:46: "For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God." A visible representation of the Spirit was given - the speaking in foreign languages. This didn't happen every time, but it did then to show Peter and his group it really happened. The Spirit had come. These people were genuine, fully accepted by God -- without circumcision or ritual or human add-on. They were just as saved as Peter. We know tongues was not the norm bc when Peter reported to Jerusalem later, he said. Acts 11:15: "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning." He doesn't say, "The HS fell on them as He always does on new believers in our church." He says, "The HS fell on them just as on us at the beginning," - at Pentecost. So, the first Jewish Xns of the church age, and the first Gentile Xns had the identical experience of the Spirit's presence shown by the external expression of speaking in other tongues. And his point in Acts 15 is, "There's proof positive of the presence of the HS and the justification of these people without circumcision or Jewish ritual of any kind. So we can't say Gentile believers must be circumcised. God says differently as shown by the coming of the HS at Pentecost in Jerusalem and little Pentecost at Cornelius' house." This had all been settled 10 years earlier. After Peter's report, the Jerusalem believers, Acts 11:18: "When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life." It had been settled. But only ten years later, it is unsettled, reminding us the gospel is under constant attack. We must be ever alert for gospel distortions! God doesn't always give physical evidence. But He gives enough the rest of us can get there by faith based on hard evidence. Thomas missed the 1st appearance of the risen Christ. He refused to believe until he saw for himself. A week later, he did, and Jesus said: John 20:29: "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." That's what Peter is providing - eyewitness testimony that Gentiles are saved without any human works. The gift of the HS proved that. 2. God's Gift of Salvation - Peter doesn't stop at the gift of the HS. He next notes that the gift of salvation has always been by faith and not works. The Lord had "cleansed their (Cornelius' house) hearts by faith" (v. 9b). But it wasn't just them! 10 "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? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will." This is extremely important. Peter is saying, "You've forgotten. Even Jews were not justified by this yoke of the law. Our fathers couldn't keep it and neither could we." So how were they justified in the OT? How?! By faith, looking forward to Christ. The 1st Jew - Abe. Justified by obedience? No. Rom 4:2-3: "For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." Abe was justified by faith, looking forward to Christ. Not faith plus; it was faith alone. Not Christ plus; but Christ alone. But weren't people in Moses' time saved by keeping the Law? Never, Salvation came by means of a substitutionary sacrifice, executed by faith. Justification came by faith as exhibited on the Day of Atonement. Trying to be saved by keeping the Law creates a yoke around one's neck that kills. That's what the Pharisees did. The Law was never meant to save; it was meant to show the need for salvation by grace alone, thru faith alone, in Christ alone! Circumcision never saved anyone. That's why God urged in Deut 10:16: "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn." Circumcision was only valuable when it led to faith. It was a symbolic bloody cutting off at the source of life - picturing that payment for sin would require another greater cutting off that could provide justification. Without faith, it meant nothing. And now, Christ has become the final circumcision for believers; it is faith in Him that saves. Paul says, Col 2:11 "In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ." Christ is our circumcision as believers. To put faith in the physical act would deny Christ. Salvation's a gift! Rom 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life thru Christ Jesus our Lord." Imagine a guy arranging a special dinner for his girl. Hidden away in her drink she finds the ring! What joy, right? So, imagine she says, "Oh, John. Yes. Yes, I will marry you. But, you must let me help you pay for this ring. I insist that we go equal parts on this." Wow - all the air just went out of the room, didn't it? 3. God's Gift of Signs - Now it's P&B's turn. 12 "And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles." No doubt they spoke of the lame man in Lystra, and their jail break by earthquake in Philippi - signs of God accepting Gentiles, but without circumcision! Paul noted elsewhere: II Cor 12:12: "The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works." Would God give such signs to one with a false gospel? Signs and wonders were not everywhere and all the time, even in those days. Paul himself was beaten and bruised. But there was enough to show God at work. Heb 2:3-4 asks a great question: "How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will." God has done enough to show definitively that it's Christ alone. We must get the "Jesus plus" movement out of business. B. Appeal to God's Word Proves Salvation by Faith Alone Now comes James, who had instant credibility as the brother of Jesus and who was now leader at Jerusalem. He was known as Jas the Just bc of his piety. He was scrupulous in his conduct. The Judaizers would have expected him to champion their cause. He said, "Brothers, listen to me." They did, and did they get an earful! Their hopes were dashed immediately as Jas made the final case for faith alone from the Bible itself - our authoritative word from God. James quotes from Amos 9:11-12: "16) "'After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, 17) that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things 18) known from of old." This prediction relates to the 2nd coming of Christ when He will restore David's throne. But that restoration will benefit the whole world -- specifically "all the Gentiles who are called by my name." Jas is not saying this is being fulfilled right then, but he is saying what is going on now previews an ultimate fulfillment later, a fulfillment that folds the Gentiles in as equal recipients of the grace of God. But what does that have to do with "faith alone"? It all relates to "Gentiles who are called by my name." From the time of Abe, Israel was referred to as a people for God's possession. They were uniquely His out of and separate from the nations. Deut 14:2 "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth." Their laws and rituals gave them a unique identity. But now, Gentiles who are "in Christ", the ultimate Israel, are also "called by my name" -- no less God's people than the Jews. And the clincher - they did not have to become Jews to be God's people. They are God's people as Gentiles. No circumcision, no Jewish law or tradition. Not Christ plus; Christ alone. V. The Decisive Conclusion So, arguments over, Jas concludes: 19 "Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God." He then makes some practical suggestions for the new Gentile converts that we'll examine next week - but there will be no imposing of Jewish tradition, circumcision or keeping the Law of Moses. The airtight case has been made. Salvation is initiated by grace alone, implemented thru faith alone, based in Christ alone. The "Jesus plus" movement is emphatically rejected, although it continues to rear its ugly, damning head even to our own day. Conc - So we must be ever vigilant that the gospel is not polluted by adding anything. So good works don't matter? Yes, they matter, but only as evidence of faith, not as contributors to faith. Let me summarize it like this: Not: The Gospel + Repentance/Faith + Good Works = Salvation But: The Gospel + Repentance/Faith = Salvation + Good Works One simple illustration. A dad brought his 4-year-old daughter to seminary class one day when mom had a doc appointment. As he left class his hands were full of a teddy bear, security blanket and other toddler paraphernalia in addition to his pack full of computer and theology books. He said, "Honey, can you help me carry some of these things?" She cheerfully complied, but feeling the weight she cried, "Oh, Daddy, I can't. Please help me." Dad took the whole pack on himself - just as our Father took the burden of our failure to meet His holy standard on Himself in His own Son on the cross so that we wouldn't have to. What God demands, God supplies. The "Jesus plus" movement is still born. It's Christ alone. Only He can save; He alone. Let's pray. DONE 7