Jesus AND what??

Acts 15:1-22

 Have you ever heard the expression, 'culture eats strategy for lunch?'  The best-laid plans for new beginnings are easily thwarted when culture rears its head and says 'no way no how.  We're not doing it that way.'

Even a cursory reading of Acts 15 says that the fledgling Christian church had a culture problem.  Really, it was deeper than culture - it was a theology problem.  The Pharisees who had become believers said, hey, these new Gentile Christians just expect that they can walk in here and say, "I've accepted Jesus as my savior, and I'm one of you now!  Don't they realize there's more to it than that?  What about circumcision?  What about the law of Moses?" (loose translation of verse 5).

It's so easy for us to say, oh, those narrow-minded Pharisees.  They just didn't get it.  Don't they understand grace?  We Christians would NEVER tell a new believer they have to be circumcised.

Indeed, after 'much discussion,' (v. 7), Peter summarized the bottom line:

Now then why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?  No!  We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are. (v. 10-11).

And they all agreed, and everyone got along happily ever after.  How wonderful it that were true!  It's so easy to sit back and smugly judge the Pharisees.  But what about us?  the church's track record isn't exactly perfect on this subject.  Just as they said 'it's Jesus AND circumcision AND keeping the law, we say it's Jesus AND -------

-no drinking, smoking, card playing
-no dancing
-no work on Sundays - christians fought 'blue laws' for years (and for good reason, but that is the subject of another blog)
-baptism by immersion, or by sprinkling - one is right and the other is wrong
-infant baptism
-fill in the blank.  Lots of options!

Lord, help me not to feel superior to Christians who 'add on' to faith.  And help me to examine my own heart and confess my need for something more than you.  Give me a longing to know you more fully, and to grow in my love of you, my service for you, and my joy to share you with others.  Amen.