Wednesday, June 7 – Acts 15:10-11

“Since this is the case, why are you putting God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our forefathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

Contention between believers often erupts over issues we ignorantly and selfishly create. In fact, this is so common you’ve likely already thought of an example or two before reading the end of this second sentence! And it begs the question Peter asked: Why?

Why do we place rules and requirements on other people when God does not? Why do we insist on the priority of human goodness (in the ways we define that goodness) when Jesus offers us His salvation by grace alone? Why do we continue to hang weights on people Jesus died to set free?

These are hard questions, and we need to ask them of ourselves and others. As we do, we must remember what we believe: we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just like every other person who trusts in Him. Any contention that elevates human priority above the priority of grace that Jesus displayed at the cross is ignorant and selfish. This minimizes the far-reaching extent of the gospel of grace and prevents us from walking in the freedom that grace brings.

• What did Peter mean when he said the Judaizers were “putting God to the test” (v. 10)? How were they putting God to the test?
• What is an issue the Lord has caused you to reconsider? How did your change of heart help you see the gospel better?
• Pray and ask God to forgive you for putting Him to the test by placing requirements on other people that He didn’t require of you when He accepted you by grace.