Pt. 3# The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:1-3) (‘SALVATION BY GRACE ALONE!) (7-31-21)

(SALVATION DOES NOT DEPEND UPON WORKS!: ‘BUT WAIT! DON’T THROW OUT THE BABY WITH THE BATH WATER’!)

(Acts 15:1-3):

And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, "UNLESS YOU ARE CIRCUMCISED ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOM OF MOSES, YOU CANNOT BE SAVED.” So they (The GalatianChurch) determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them ‘Should Go Up to Jerusalem’, to The Apostles and Elders (Jerusalem Council), about this Question. 3 So, being ‘Sent On Their Way By The Church (Galatia)…

(THE CIRCUMCISION QUESTION IN ‘ACTS 15’ BEGAN IN GALATIA)

(THE CIRCUMCISION QUESTION IS ONLY A SMALL PART OF THE BIGGER PROBLEM IN GALATIA)!

Modern Christian teaching has become very confusing, and to a large extent: ‘Schizophrenic’. I am told that ‘Half of The Bible of God's Word (NEW TESTAMENT) Is Good and Perfect’, but on the other hand, I am warned that the other ‘Half Of The Bible’(THE OLD TESTAMENT) Is Bad and Unhealthy For Me, and That I Should Stay Away From It’! Therefore, the consensus is that some of His Word applies to Christians, other parts only to Jews. Some of it is New, some of it is Old. We appear to be to taught that we ‘Don't Live By Every Word That Proceeds From The Mouth of God’. Apparently God gave some instructions to the Jews at Sinai, instructions that He knew they couldn't do, but I guess He just wanted to mess with them. (Tongue in Cheek)!

In Christian circles today, there are many teachings being imparted that in my opinion are not Scriptural. We must think that, hey, after 2,000 years of Study and Practice, we're getting closer to the truth all the time! But in reality, we seem to have drifted gradually further away from God's standards, reinterpreted His Word to grant ourselves permission to do as The Book of Proverbs warns: ‘Loosen All Restraints And Run Wild’!

(Proverbs 29:18)

‘Where there is no Revelation, the people (YIPPARA): ‘Cast Off All Restraints And Run Wild’); But happy is he who keeps ‘The Law’.

(WE MUST ASK OURSELVES A QUESTION: ‘IS THE LAW GOOD’, OR IS ‘THE LAW EVIL’?)

(1 Timothy 1:8):

‘But we know that ‘The Law Is Good If One Uses It Lawfully,’

According to TheApostle Paul: ‘The Law Is Good If One Uses It Lawfully,’! Paul’s use of the words: ‘If One Uses It’, shows us that Paul is fully persuaded that ‘By Our Faith In Christ, That The Law Had Not Been Erased And That The Lawful Use Of The Law’ is still an important part of ‘The New Testament Believers Life’!

The first, and maybe the most misunderstood, word we need to define is ‘Law’. How does the Bible define this word? Can we arrive at an understanding of what is meant by just reading other Scriptures? If we're going to talk about it, and study what Paul in ‘The Book Of Galatians’ says about it, we should probably understand what we mean by the word.

It is unfortunate that we have such a limited definition of the word ‘Law’ in the present day.Our idea is that it's some sort of rule or regulation that, if not followed, results in punishment. And so we think of ‘The Law given at Mount Sinai’ as abunch of difficult rules that we couldn't do, for whatever reason, and that this system is what Jesus came to put away or fulfill. We use synonyms such as"BURDEN," "SLAVERY," and "DEATH" to describe our view of it. However, this is not ‘The Biblical Definition At All’. But Biblically, God’s Law has a much broader meaning in the Scriptures.

The Biblical use of The Word ‘Law’ is: ‘The Torah, Light, Life, Teaching, Instruction, Truth, and Everlasting, in addition to other terms such as ‘Wisdom, Understanding (Proverbs 23:23), Knowledge (Proverbs 8:10), Insight (Daniel 9:22), Liberty and Precepts (Psalm 119:45), Commands, and Perfect. It’s Not Meant To Be Considered As: ‘Burdensome’ (1 Jn. 5:3).

So what ‘Law’ is Paul talking about in Galatians? Is he presenting the case of dumping the Law insome "fulfilled" trash can? I don't think so. If we read carefully, with our new understanding of what The Law is, then we see that what Paul is attacking is the idea that we can follow any rule or regulation and "earn" anything, especially Right Standing Before God. He is also telling us that man has always, and only, been in Right Standing before God by Faithful Obedience. Therefore, I believe Paul is teaching us about"Justification by Faith" and speaking against the principle of earning our salvation by Merit.

(Galatians 2:16):

‘But knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ,’

(SALVATION DOES NOT DEPEND UPON WORKS!: ‘BUT WAIT! DON’T THROW OUT THE BABY WITH THE BATH WATER’!)