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 Acts 15:1-41 - Freedom in Christ - the Christian’s Leviticus



People love to make rules. And they cloak them in religiosity - as though the rules come from God. It’s an age-old problem.  

This chapter clarifies how a person can be saved - how to have eternal life. Not only that, it makes clear how to live the Christian way. This chapter is the Christian’s litmus test, our plumbline, our foundation. It is an example of unity in the Church. But it is also an example of the need to argue vehemently against legalists and those that seek to burden Christians with a yoke that is not from Jesus (15:2).

Through his visions and meeting with Cornelius, Peter already clarified this freedom in Christ. But not everyone got the message. Paul and Barnabas certainly did. Still today, people worldwide have yet to understand this powerful message of Christian liberty. It is the liberty to be free from slavery to sin - as opposed to the freedom to do whatever we choose.

People make up all sorts of ungodly nonsense: don’t do this, you must do that, you must pray a certain way, fast another, worship on this day or that way, follow only Calvin's theology, and adhere to a modern end times theory, etc. We must challenge the Church to move from ineffective legalism to freedom and obedience.

        God has standards, yes. We can all agree with that. But what standards? Regarding salvation, make no mistake; we do NOT have to be Jewish to be saved. We do not have to be circumcised. We do not (actually, should not) have to follow the food or ritual regulations given to the nation of Israel in the desert through Moses. We do not have to join or follow a sect or a specific denomination. The Pharisees believers claimed: "The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses" (15:5). Siding with Paul and Barnabas, the apostles and elders forever resolved this issue. Do not build up rules that Jesus tore down!

        The same legalists yammering for all Christians to be circumcized were unable to obey the law of Moses. Just like the modern-day gluttonous televangelist, addicted to porn, preaching that the average Joe American is going to hell for having a lager or a glass of wine that Abraham and Jesus both would have enjoyed. Complete hypocrisy. And nonsense. The Jews failed to follow the law of Moses. It never could bring them salvation. If it could, there would have been no need for Jesus to die on the Cross.

        Acts 15 clarifies that believers in Jesus do not have to follow the circumcision requirements or the law of Moses. Again, Moses’ regulations cannot save you. It's worth repeating: Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Where I think this gets a little confusing is what do we do with Exodus 20 and the ten commandments? How I resolve this is first this. I believe wholeheartedly in what Acts 15 says here - what the apostles conclude sets the standard of freedom for Gentile believers. All of the prophecies and all of the laws are fulfilled in Jesus. But I also think that God does not change. His holiness standards and justice standards do not change. Now God puts the standards on the heart of every believer - and I believe that Exodus 20 is now written on the heart of each believer. We have no excuse for writing poorly reasoned legal decisions. We have no excuse for not seeking or doing justice. The Christian lawyer knows he does not gain salvation through keeping Exodus 20. Still, he also sees God's principles of justice and his standards of relation with Him and, as we relate to others, as enduring principles - ignored at our peril. We are saved through believing in Jesus. And we must be obedient to Jesus in word and deed. This passage in Acts and so much of the New Testament (see James 2) shows us what that obedience looks like.

Remember what we read a few chapters back. God said, “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean” (Acts 10:15). It was such a stern message that Jesus gave it to Peter three times. Forgive us, LORD, for not obeying your clear way and making up nonsense rules that make people stumble rather than empower them to flourish.

People fight. Christians fight and dispute. So do Jews. And Muslims. Everyone does. It’s part of the human condition. But God yearns for us to be unified in faith in Christ, in freedom in Christ (John 17). God’s way is unity and freedom. The Church is unstoppable when unified.

        Despite the vehement arguments and the dispute with the Pharisee Christians, we see respect for authority and incredible unity here. Every man knew that God established the rules and sets our standards. God created fairness and justice. It’s His domain alone. And God acts with justice and righteousness. It’s the character of the Judge, our King. We are lowly men, descendants of ordinary men. Yet God not only cares for us, He profoundly loves us (again, see John 17). So when a dispute arose, what did they do? They sought unity in Jesus and took the matter to Jesus' apostles and the elders in Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas had no doubt they understood God’s salvation. God appointed them, and they would stake their lives in God’s message of freedom in Christ. And yet they had a spirit of unity, and they deferred the matter to the Jerusalem apostles and elders who, in turn, respected the counsel of Almighty God. The Acts Church understood what was fulfilled in Jesus Christ and the new way of His followers. We should preach this Acts 15 passage regularly as we need a constant reminder of whose yoke we bear.

And here was God’s counsel given through Peter:

  • God knows people’s hearts (v. 8)

  • God confirmed he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit - just as he did with the Jews.

  • God makes no distinction between Jew and Gentile.

  • God cleanses people’s hearts one way only: through faith!

  • When you add artificial rules of salvation, you are challenging God Almighty. You are doing the devil’s work by burdening people with practices that do not come from God.

  • Christians believe that all people are saved the same way: by Jesus. By the underserved grace of the Lord Jesus.

I love how the apostles give glory to God. And the dispute is resolved. God performed and continues to perform miraculous signs and wonders. He is building his Church today. The same way He always does: through the lamb's blood and the word of our testimony.

Be wary of boss men who dictate decisions. We see in the Acts Church the excellent governance of the apostles. The apostles and elders listened to all parties, but the conclusion of the apostles was unanimous. That’s the mark of Jesus’ men, unity. Unity based on Scripture. Unity through faith in Jesus.

Open your meetings up! Stop silencing believers. Stop with the secrecy and the gaslighting. Let men of Christ speak of what God is doing. Let us be free in Christ, emboldened in Christ, and empowered through freedom.

James points to God’s word and Scripture when he speaks. We shall do likewise as we assess matters and resolve disputes. God shows the way. God wants all humans to seek him - yes, all means all. James’ counsel is this:

  • Do not make it difficult for people to turn to God.

  • Do not eat food offered to idols.

  • Abstain from sexual immorality.

  • Do not eat the meat of strangled animals or consume blood.

That’s it. That’s the Christian’s Leviticus. God has moral standards. He always has. See Psalm 99 for a peek into God’s character as the Creator of justice. God requires us to repent of our sins and to turn to him. And to be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and to receive the Holy Spirit. We see this again and again in the New Testament. And we see that the Holy Spirit places God’s law in our hearts.

Yes, Christian men and women have standards. The highest standards. We find them in the New Testament - more so, in the royal law that sets us free (James 1:23). We do not set our Christian standards in Moses’ regulations. Instead, we follow the example Jesus and his apostles set for us. We are not saved by what we do. We are saved by what God did for us on the Cross and our belief in his offer of salvation.

There is real freedom in Christ. Turn your life to him. He will give you joy. Notice here that the body of leaders chose delegates. Likewise, in the case of a dispute, we should choose men of good reputations who are godly leaders.

Judas and Silas were prophets. They encouraged and strengthened the believers’ faith. All of these men taught the word of God. And they practiced what they preached.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your freedom. Let us follow your way alone. Unify us, Lord King. Help us to obey the example of the apostles. Purify our hearts and strengthen us with confidence in the law of Christ that sets us free. Amen

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