The Gospel that Leads to..

Acts, we've been here for some time, and this morning we find ourselves at the center of the book. Literally, we're in the dead center of the book. There's 1,500 words before Acts 15, and there's about 1,500 words afterwards. We're in the middle of the book, and I also believe we're in the theological center of the book. Luke has been building us up to this point, and what we're gonna see afterwards flows out of it. And there's three basic questions that we're gonna be looking at, and this is not the outline, these are just the three basic questions that I believe are being addressed here. First, what is God's gospel of salvation? What does it mean to be saved? That's one question. Two, who is invited? Who is invited? And three, how are they welcomed? What is salvation? Who is invited? How are they welcomed? And this is important for the book of Acts, because we've seen that Christ, He died for sinners. He rose again. He walked with His disciples, and He said, wait until the Holy Spirit comes down, and then I'm going to send you to the outer ends of the earth. Well that, they waited, the Holy Spirit came down, and then they became witnesses. And then God sent them to the Samaritans. He sent them to the Ethiopians. He sent them to the Gentiles. God spread that gospel, and as more and more different kinds of people are coming into God's plan, a lot of the Jews had to rethink, what does it mean God is doing? It was difficult for the Jews to understand that God would be saving Gentiles in the same way that they are being saved. And so we see there was a difficult time understanding who God is inviting. at a difficult time understanding how do they welcome them? And it all comes down to what is salvation? Well, the message this morning is very simple. Salvation is by grace alone, and fellowship is by grace alone. We see these two basic truths together. We are saved by grace alone, and we have fellowship by grace alone. And that's what's coming together in the book of Acts. this unity that the church is called to by grace alone, which is what fellowship is. And let me make sure I step aside real quick and define fellowship. Fellowship isn't just Christians getting together and doing something, right? So if you're going to go and watch the NCAA tournament to gather the Christians, that's not necessarily fellowship. It's fine to do so, I plan on doing so. But spending time together doing something doesn't necessarily make it fellowship. It's coming together as Christians and focusing on who Jesus Christ is. Praying together, studying his word together. It's not just who you're with, it's what you're doing. It's experiencing Christ with one another. And that's important as we understand fellowship because as we're saved by grace alone, we have fellowship enjoying that grace and making much of that grace. Well, the church of Acts is, they're in the middle of a division. There's some false teaching, and I just wanna walk back through why this is so important, the unity of the church in grace to have fellowship together. Before Jesus died, he had a long prayer in John 17. And one of the key emphases he had in that prayer was that we, the church, would be one, as he and the Father are one. Jesus did not save us to be all these different scattered groups who are opposed to one another. No, He saved the church to be one in His grace and for His glory. This is what we see in Acts. All these different kinds of people being saved by grace to be one new kind of people in grace. When Cornelius hears the gospel, the Jews are first questioning it. But then they rejoice. Because the same gospel, the same God, the same Savior, the same grace, the same Holy Spirit was given to them. We can actually look at many of the letters in the New Testament. Romans, Galatians, Ephesians. These are letters writing to churches saying be one. Jews and Gentiles, it's the same gospel that saves you. Be one together. And really what we see here is Luke giving us a history of the message that we hear in Romans. As we walk through our text, we're gonna see a problem. We're gonna see the testimonies that try to answer that problem. We're gonna see a resolution. And so let's first begin with the problem. And this is chapter 15, verse one. If you're using a Pew Bible, that's found on page 923. Acts 15. beginning in verse one through five. The problem, some are requiring circumcision for salvation. Some are requiring circumcision for salvation. But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. So being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles and brought great joy to all the brothers. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 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. Now when it says they went up, it's not speaking of geography, it's speaking of topography. Jerusalem is the center of the way they think, and you always go up to Jerusalem, whether you're going north or you're going south. And so brothers that come out of Judea, they've gone up to Antioch, and they're spreading this message, and verse one tells us how important this message is. Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. This is the central issue, and this is the most important topic for us to discuss. But let's back up a moment, and let's remember, again, as we've already said, in Acts 10, the Spirit came down upon Cornelius the Gentile to manifest that he is saved just the same way as the Jews were saved in Acts 2. In Acts 11, Peter then goes to Jerusalem and tells the church there what's happened, and they rejoice. This event is about 10 to 12 years later, depending on how you put the timeline together. 10 years have passed since that first Gentile believer, Cornelius, had the Holy Spirit come down upon him, and the Jews heard about it, and they rejoiced. 10 years have passed. And between this time, the Acts 11 and Acts 15, Peter's even had a lapse of rejoicing. We know from Galatians 2 that Paul had to go privately to Peter and give him a correction for how he himself was still abstaining from eating with Gentiles. Some have left Jerusalem and they're teaching that Gentiles need to be circumcised to be saved. Now, we're gonna see that those who are teaching this, they weren't sent out to teach that. They're self-appointed teachers. Paul and Barnabas on the first mission, they're appointed by the church to go. These folks who are going and teaching this false gospel, they're self-appointed teachers. And if you look at verse 24, this is the letter that the church of Jerusalem is sending back. Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions. The churches wanted to separate themselves. They were not sent. They've been self-appointed. These are dangerous teachers who don't understand the law, they don't understand the gospel. They're teaching a false gospel. Now, the issues regarding salvation. What does it mean to be saved? This is the key issue, so let's just pause here and answer that question. First, in order to understand what salvation is, you have to understand what are you being saved from? See, we're saved from our own sin, according to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We've all refused God. We've rejected God. We've decided not to give Him thanks for all the things He's given us. We refuse to honor Him in the way He deserves to be honored as the creator and sustainer of life. And because of that, His wrath is rightly upon us. We need to be saved from the righteous wrath of God. That's what's most dangerous to us. And salvation from the righteous wrath of God only comes from God. See, the God who is righteous in his wrath, he saw that there was nothing we could do to remove ourselves from that wrath. There was nothing we could do to save ourselves, to make ourselves better. And so he sent his only son, Jesus Christ. to live the life that honored him and gave thanks to him and worshiped him as he ought as a human being. Jesus Christ was sinless and yet he died on the cross as if a sinner. He was a sinless righteous man and God treated him as if he had committed every sin we have committed so that the wrath of God is satisfied when he punished his son for our sins. On the cross, Jesus saves us by suffering in our place. We're counted righteous and forgiven if we believe in him, because he was counted as if a sinner. He died and he rose again, promising us that he has defeated death. He has now provided forgiveness. He now gives new life. That's salvation. Notice who did all the work. Jesus Christ. It's the work of Christ alone who died for us. It's the work of Christ alone who suffered for our sin. It's the work of Christ alone who rose again. We give nothing to that work with our own hands. We simply trust that He is who He said He is. He did what He said He did. And we are now who He says we are. If you're not a Christian this morning, These are the hard truths you have to wrestle with. Is the Bible right that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God? Is the Bible right about you that you do not give thanks to God or honor Him as He deserves? If that's right, the only hope you have is to look to Jesus Christ, believe in Him who died for your sins and rose again to give you new life. Do not leave here this morning without talking to someone about that. The importance of verse one shows how dangerous this teaching is. Unless you're circumcised to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. What he's saying is you have to believe all the things I just said, plus something else you do to be saved. This is about salvation, and so verse two, thankfully, the church had brothers who were mature in preaching the gospel. Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them. This was not a small disagreement, and disagreeing is not a problem. A lot of folks have a problem that Christians disagree, but here, this disagreement is absolutely necessary. The Christians are disagreeing with those who are corrupting the pure gospel of grace alone and faith alone. What we see here is that really the problem is that they've turned to a different gospel, and Paul and Barnabas are faithful in disagreeing with them. In response to this, they travel down to Jerusalem to understand what is the root of this gospel? What is the root of the teaching that is now in Antioch? And as they travel, verses three and five, they're received, we see this, they're going through the cities, and then they end up in Jerusalem. and they declared all that God had done with them, but some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees, they rose up, verse five, and they again declare it is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses. Now, I wanna back up for a moment, and I wanna somewhat try to be gracious to the party of the Pharisees here. These were men and women, mostly men, most likely. who had been raised understanding and believing the law of Moses. The law of Moses was given by God to God's people. It was a good thing in its time. But here we see that they've had a difficult time understanding how the law of Moses relates to the law of Christ. They've had a difficult time understanding how the law of Moses relates to the gospel of Jesus Christ. And so I want to back up and just say, I can appreciate that they had a difficult time moving so quickly, just as Peter did in Acts 10. Remember three times God had to show him the vision on the sheet and say, don't say what I've said is clean is unclean? And Peter keeps arguing. Now yes, of course, that's Peter. But this is a significant change in the way God is working. And so I wanted to step back and just to say that this would be difficult to understand and to appreciate. But the problem is very important, and so it had to be addressed. What does it mean to be saved? Who is invited? And how are they going to be welcomed? Now the center of our passage is next, and that's the testimony. God's salvation is by grace for all. The testimony we hear from six to 18 is that God's salvation is by grace for all people, Jews and Gentiles. Let me read that for us. The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, 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. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us. And he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 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. But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus just as they will. And all the assembly fell silent and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and waters God had done through them among the Gentiles. And they finished speaking. James replied, brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for his name. And with this, The words of the prophets agree just as it is written. After this I will return and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen and I will rebuild its ruins and I will restore it. That the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord and the Gentiles who are called by my name says the Lord who makes these things known from old. Notice in verse six that this debate, it went on some time. And then Peter is the first to stand up and have a recorded testimony. And what we have here are summaries of what was said by each man. We don't have everything that was said. We don't have any actual words quoted by Paul and Barnabas, just kind of what they spoke about. And we see here, as we've already thought about a few times, that Peter, he recites what happened in Acts 10 and 11. You know, God sent me to go proclaim that gospel, and they believed. Verse eight and nine. Listen to the language here. And God who knows the heart bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us. They've received the same gospel and they've received the same testimony of the Spirit. He made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. It is the same gospel saving two different kinds of people to be a new kind of people. That emphasis of just as. There is no distinction, so why are we making a distinction between Jew and Gentile? They're saved by faith just like we are saved by faith. But now look at verse 10 and 11. Why would we put a yoke? on them, their necks. Well, I would put God to the test by putting a yoke on their necks. And he's not saying the law is a bad thing. He's simply saying our fathers never were able to obey the law in order to be saved. Just as we have never been able to obey the law in order to be saved. No. Verse 11, the key verse. But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus as they will. If you're a child, that's the verse you wanna write down today. Even just a simple phrase. Saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus. That's the phrase. That's the gospel being identified and defined by Peter with great clarity. It's not by obeying the law. We know God has saved them by faith through the grace of the Lord Jesus. But verse 11 is quite pointed. Notice what he's actually saying. We will be saved just as they will. He's actually presenting the Gentiles here as the model of how to actually be saved. They were saved by grace. We will be saved just like them. The same salvation by grace. He's declaring that salvation has only come through one way, and it is grace. God can save whomever He wills, however He wills. It's His good gift to give away to whomever He desires. Our salvation is based on what Jesus gives, forgiveness and righteousness. After Peter spoke, the assembly felt silent. And then Paul and Barnabas, they related what signs and wonders, again, they had already done this in verse four, but again, they tell about how God, again, has done so many things. They're testifying to the evidence and to the things that have happened by their own experience. And then finally, James, he speaks. And James, as best we can understand, he seems to be the senior pastor figure of this church in Jerusalem. He speaks and he gives another testimony. And notice where he goes. And with this word, the prophets agree, just as it is written. Peter has spoken from his experience. Paul and Barnabas, they've spoken from their experience. James brings us to what God has said. Now, Peter is aligned with everything God has already said. Paul and Barnabas are aligned with everything God has said, but James brings us to understand that Scripture also testifies and is actually the foundation of what Peter, Paul, and Barnabas are saying. David said, I'm going to send another king, like David. This king's gonna be forever, though. This is gonna be a different kind of king who's not going to rule with power like most kings do. He's gonna rule by giving his life over to death, just as it is written. and the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord and all the Gentiles who are called by my name." James says we've already known this is supposed to happen because God said it would happen. The experience, what has happened, has aligning with what God has said. And here's the basic outcome. Here's a summary statement of the theological truths we can gather from this. Old Testament Jews were not saved by obeying the law. Old Testament Jews were saved by believing in the promises that God will one day send a savior. They're saved by grace, that God said, I'm going to do something for you, and they believe that promise. And that faith is dead without works, but it's a salvation by grace alone and faith alone. Old Testament Jews, they're not saved by obeying the law. Guess what? New Testament Jews, they're not saved by obeying the law. They're saved by looking and seeing God has now fulfilled all those promises. Jesus Christ has come. The King has come. He's died. He's risen. We know who that Savior is. We now know that salvation. The Old Testament Jews were saved by looking forward to the promises that were to come. The Old Testament Jews are looking back. He has come. It's still the same salvation, grace alone, by faith alone. The faith that works is dead. Guess how New Testament Gentiles are saved? By just hearing that great declaration. God saw you in your sin and saw that you were helpless and he sent his own son to die for you. By grace you are saved if you believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and rose again. The same gospel. by grace alone and faith alone. But yet faith without works is dead. The confusion is how faith and works are supposed to be related. Works do not secure your salvation. Works do not add to your salvation. Works are a fruit of your salvation. The point is this. No one has ever obeyed their way into heaven. That's it. Sorry, to get to the point now, I'm going to finally say the simple thing you needed to know. No one has ever obeyed their way into heaven. It's a gift from God because Jesus obeyed His Heavenly Father and died for us. It's His works. It's grace. I want to back up one more moment here. And I want to help us see something that's behind everything that's being stated here, and it runs counter to the way we typically think and the way we are trained to think. The gospel of Jesus Christ tells us two things. What is wrong with us is inside of us, and the help we need comes from outside of us. That's counterintuitive and opposite of the way I've been trained to think. I've been trained to think that whatever's wrong must have happened to me, and whatever I need, I just need to get down deeper into my soul and get the strength I need to overcome it. That's false. The gospel tells us that what is really wrong with us is inside of us. And the help we need comes from outside of us. We look to find the solution to the problem and if we really look deeper and we have eyes to see, we're only gonna see more and more sin. The gospel says that you're not gonna find the solution to your problem of sin inside because that's where sin resides. The gospel says look up. Look up to the great God of glory who has given you his grace to save you. To put it simply, we're not victims, we're criminals. We're not victims. We're criminals. We've committed crimes against God and He is a righteous God of wrath, but He gives grace to those who look to Jesus Christ and believe. It's a hard truth. We're the defilers and He is the healer. Let's look to the resolution. There's three testimonies. Salvation is by grace alone. We know this from what has happened, we know it from the word of God, and James is still speaking, verses 19 to 21. The resolution, assure the Gentiles that salvation is by grace. Let me first read James' conclusion, and then I'll read the declared letter. Therefore, my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God. They should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, and for what has been strangled and from blood. For from ancient generations, Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he has read every Sabbath in the synagogues. Now verse 21 seems to be making a, it's a reason for his command, and it's that Jews everywhere have always been hearing what Moses has said. Again, this would be a difficult thing for most Jews to get past. They've been hearing this their entire lives, that these things are wrong. But let's look at this judgment. We should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God. Here it seems to be saying, no, we're not gonna require circumcision. We are not going to say in order to be saved they need to be circumcised. We're not going to add that yoke. We're not going to give them that trouble that those were teaching in chapter 15 verse 1. But then he goes on and does something that is a little surprising. But we should write to them to abstain from these things. So we're not going to trouble them when it comes to if salvation is necessary, if circumcision is necessary for salvation. We're going to write to them to abstain from these things though. From things polluted by idols, from sexual morality, from meat that's been strangled, and from blood. Now one of these is not like the other. Three of these have to do with food and dietary loss. The other one is porneo. It's the generic word for sexual immorality. And I want to make it very clear here that they're going to say this is a requirement. Verse 28. The letter will actually use the word requirement. We don't want to lay any other burden on you, but these burdens. We're not going to trouble you that circumcision is actually for salvation, but here are some things we're going to ask of you. These are things we're going to expect of you. And I want to make it very clear that those in chapter 15 verse 1, they're teaching that you have to be circumcised to be saved. I don't believe James is saying that you need to refrain from these things in order to be saved. He's simply requesting that they do so for the purpose of fellowship with the fellow Jews. It is not a corruption of the gospel to request these four things. It is simply saying, let's encourage, let's not throw a hindrance to the Jewish brothers by continuing to practice these four things. Eating together was one of the key ways they fellowshiped together. We eat with almost anyone. If someone asks us to lunch, we'll go. It's not that big of a deal to go to a restaurant. But in this culture, to eat with someone was to share your life with them. And the Christians were commanded to break bread with one another regularly. And so the Jews were having a difficult time fellowshipping with the Gentiles because they found their food disgusting. They find their dietary habits gross because the Jews have been raised with the Mosaic law that you're not supposed to eat meat strangled, not to eat the blood, not to eat meat sacrificed to idols. And I believe James here is simply saying, abstain from those things because they're hindering fellowship with your fellow Jewish believers. You're saved by grace alone. And now we're asking you Gentiles to bear another kind of burden. not a burden for salvation, but a burden for your brothers. Abstain from the things that you've been doing so that the fellowship with the other brothers will not be hindered." This is kind of remarkable. They're actually treating the Gentile believers as the strong believers and the Jewish believers as the weaker brothers. They're saying Gentiles, you get grace. You get that salvation is by grace alone, but those who are having a difficult time understanding why you feel the freedom to eat this way, stop. So that they will not have a problem fellowshiping with you. He's basically asking them to obey the law of Christ. Consider others more important than yourself. Consider their interests more important than your own. That's from Philippians two. I believe that's what the purpose of these dietary restrictions is to simply say, do not keep doing these things which are going to hinder the fellowship with those who are saved by grace the same way you're saved. Now the other one is sexual immorality. This one is not like the other. Those other commands we actually know are not universal commands for all of Christians at all times. Paul actually says it's okay to eat meat sacrificed to idols in 1 Corinthians. That there's nothing necessarily sinful about the meat because it was sacrificed to idols. It was simply saying don't do that because it offends your brothers in a way that's unnecessary. However, this word sexual morality, it is always tied to sin. And it is always a sin throughout scripture. New Testament makes it very clear. The author of Hebrews says, do not let your marriage bed be defiled. Monogamy is expected, and marriage is the only proper relationship for sexual intercourse. Jesus teaches that we are guilty of adultery when we have lustful thoughts about someone. He calls us away from sexual morality. So how and why is this one tied to the dietary laws? Well, the best explanation I understand is that the Gentiles before they were Christians would have been much more promiscuous. They would have had habits and actions that were much more promiscuous and they had not yet repented of these things and they were offensive to the Jews. And so now James is saying, stop it. You're disobeying the law of Christ here is keeping you from fellowshipping with your Jewish brothers. Now it's interesting that it doesn't take a special place for his sexual immorality. He doesn't go into detail, he just lists it along with other things that you need to stop doing. It's interesting because sexual immorality in this culture, which was very sexually perverse, if you could just study what was happening in Corinth at the time. He doesn't permit it, but it's also not the unforgivable sin. Sexual immorality is not permitted for Christians, it is not expected of Christians, but it's also not the unforgivable sin. I think we in our culture have a real difficult time understanding sex and appreciating it for what God has given it to us for. Our temptation is to be like our culture and treat it like a God, to worship it, to think it's the ultimate great gift or the ultimate great act. We treat it like God, or as too many Christians have done over the years, we treat it like it's gross, like it's something not supposed to be enjoyed. No, the Christian, we're supposed to treat it as a good gift to be enjoyed according to God's Word. Sex isn't God. It's not gross. It's a good gift given to us by God to have a very specific purpose and a very specific relationship. It's a unique gift. And those Gentile Christians had not yet truly embraced what sexual relationships were supposed to look like. And so here we see a correction. Now in order to ensure the Gentiles hear this news, you don't have to be circumcised, but here are some rules we're going to lay down, here are some expectations we're going to lay down. They write a letter. Let me read the letter, beginning in verse 22, and here we're still seeing the resolution. Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, leading men among the brothers, with the following letter. The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who were of the church of the Gentiles in Antioch, in Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instruction, it had seemed good to us, having come to one accord to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same thing by the words of mouth." Now let's just pause there. Most of the greeting is about who's with them. The message they have to say is pretty short. Verse 28. for it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us. There's a great agreement there. The Holy Spirit has given the whole congregation an agreement to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements. Again, circumcision is not on the table. You do not have to be circumcised to be saved. There is no greater burden, but here are these requirements. Same four that James gave, that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual morality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell. The Holy Spirit has confirmed this. He's testified to it by the way he's poured out on the Gentiles. He's testified to it by the way he's gathered the whole church to be of one accord. These burdens are being placed on the Gentiles. They're being required to abstain, not from things that are necessarily sinful, for three of them at least, but the things that are simply going to help the other brothers have fellowship. The fellowship that the church is going to require is going to require grace. Now let's look at the response. And this is the last part of the text, 30 to 35. The church rejoices in the grace of God. So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. And Judas and Silas, who were with themselves, prophets. encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord with many others also." The messages are sent off. They have the message. We're not going to give you any other burden except for these four things. And look at this response. They rejoice to how encouraging it is. The Gentiles are being told, you don't have to be circumcised to be saved, but then they're being told, stop doing some things. Do we normally rejoice with great encouragement when we're told, stop it? They rejoice because the good news of salvation has been clarified. It is by grace alone, and they rejoice because they've been given clear instruction on how to pursue fellowship with their Jewish brothers. The Gentiles, they receive this restriction with grace. They've been given great grace, and so they receive this restriction with grace. They could have made an argument. Well, no, we don't have any commands of Christ that says, I can't do this. No, they rejoice. They're encouraged. And we see here, the Gentiles are willing to submit to the restrictions for the purpose of fellowship. fellowship of grace. Now what's not said clearly and specifically is how the Jewish brothers who had been teaching circumcision is necessary, how they responded. One way we could read this is that they are also included in the whole church that rejoiced. Now picture that if that's the case. The whole church, which had a great dissension in chapter 15, verse 2. There was a great dissension between Jew and Gentile. There was a great dissension, but by the time we get through with the gospel being properly applied, there's great unity. Why? Because the Gentiles submitted to restrictions, and the Jews submitted to proper correction of what the gospel is. And the church is whole. What happened? was a posture of humility and submission to what God's word says is good, to the truth that grace abounds where sin abounds, and unity was the most important thing for the church. There are two responses for us this morning. First, we must be confident that we are saved by grace. What a glorious truth. It's not up to something else you're gonna do. God said it. It isn't your works that's going to save you. And if you've actually tried to work at really changing how sinful you are, this is good news. Because the harder you work at your sin, you first can stop these sinful actions, and maybe the sinful words, and then you can start hindering the sinful thoughts, but then you start getting into those sinful desires, and trying to get rid of those, those deep desires that cause the thoughts and the actions, those are hard. The more we remove some, the more we see. To really try to remove all sin, so that we might think we're righteous. Brothers and sisters, this is good news. We have been saved by grace. All of us. Filthy sinners. All of us unworthy of God. All of us should be suffering His wrath, but instead were invited into His love. We're saved by grace. We're freed from the power of sin. We're forgiven for all the guilt we've done. We're promised an eternity of beholding the glory of Jesus Christ. It's all a gift. It's not earned. We don't say you're welcome, God. We only say thank you. And secondly, we're saved by grace to live in fellowship. There's one thing that happens when the church is committed to seeing their unity in light of the grace and glory of the cross, and that is we all take ourselves a little less seriously. Self-righteousness has no role when God's people are focused on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Something that's remarkable about the cross is it leaves no place for pride. God's son had to die. That's how bad we are. God's Son had to die for us. That's how bad we are. God's Son had to die for other believers. They're just like us. We get to rejoice together that Christ died for us. His grace abounds to us. The Gentiles are willing to be obedient to the requests of the church leaders. They're willing to suffer under the burdens of just abstaining from things that might have been their right. All because they have experienced great grace, they're willing to show great grace. It's a reminder to us, our fellowship, that word has to be protected. It's us enjoying Christ together. It's us looking to the cross together. It's us rejoicing in the great grace we've received together. And it's us stirring one another along to live according to his grace and for his glory.