Acts 21:26-40 - The Law of Christ

So, as each believer knows, the Holy Spirit writes His laws on our hearts when we believe in Jesus Christ (Rom. 2:15, 1 Cor. 9:21, Gal 2:19, Gal. 6:2, Eph. 2:15, Jas. 1:25, 2:8). And yet God uses all Scripture to continue to instruct us in His ways of holiness. We also know that the law of Christ is higher and better (Matt. 5 and 6). It was a serious question for Peter, Paul, and James, and it remains so for us: how must we live as believers in Jesus Christ. According to some, there is one way for the Jew and another for the non-Jew. But which Jews? Only those alive at the resurrection of Jesus Christ? If that is the case, the point is moot today - 2,000 plus years after the Rescuer came to earth to die on the cross for our salvation. Is there a subset of people alive today who hear the Message of the King and trust Him for eternal life - yet they must continue to follow Jewish customs, purification ceremonies, and the law of Moses? And should such people violently and vehemently oppose any contact with non-Jews? Forbidding that we enter their Jewish temples? Did Jesus fulfill the law and the role of the Temple, or is the Temple extant for a subset of people? The answer from the Bible is that Christ fulfills everything (1 Cor. 6:19, 1 Peter 2:15, Rev. 21:22, etc.). The old way has been replaced by the new. Once we know the Way of Jesus Christ, we are sternly warned (Hebrews 6) not to turn away from the truth and to go back to old or other ways for salvation.

Paul was not guilty of the accusations brought against him. His accusers were gaslighting him with legalism. Similar to Paul’s mindset before his conversion, they simply did not understand. Like his Savior, Paul faced false accusations. It was a badge of honor. Paul was not preaching against Jewish people everywhere and telling everyone to disobey Jewish laws (v. 28). To the contrary, he loved the Jews, and he was a Jew. And he did not defy or speak against the Temple. Paul was charged with these offenses by the Jews because Paul was accurately and powerfully preaching the new Way. The Way of Jesus Christ. The Way that God commands all believers to follow. A higher and better law. Paul was charged with these offenses by people with one goal - to silence the Message of Christ. Paul was bold. He had to use every ounce of bravery, intellect, and wisdom to save his life and speak the truth in love to those hell-bent on killing him (v. 31-32).

The miraculous thing is that Paul had been just like those attacking him before his conversion on the road to Damascus. As they accused Paul and beat him, he knew the scene was eerily familiar to the murder of Stephen (Acts 7:54-60). Paul had firsthand experience seeing Stephen beaten and killed for boldly explaining the new Way. In his tragic yet marvelous witness for Jesus, Stephen explained how our glorious God blessed Abraham, the covenant of circumcision, the patriarchs, and the life-giving words of Moses (Acts 7:1-40). Paul heard with his own ears that Stephen didn’t stop with his history lesson about God’s Providence for the Jewish people. Stephen preached on. Stephen explained that God turned away from the Jewish people and abandoned them to serve the false idols (created things) that they chose over God Almighty (7:42). Stephen was murdered by the Jews for telling the truth that they had stubbornly resisted the Holy Spirit (7:51). And that is the same thing that was happening here to Paul. Paul was beaten and almost killed by the same people that betrayed and murdered the Messiah (7:52).

So, how shall we live under Jesus’s new covenant? Christians must confess and turn from sin. We obey Christ by loving others and doing good deeds. We are known for our love and kindness, but we do not suffer arrogance or fools lightly. We fear doing wrong because we know our Just King (Proverbs 28:14). We hate corruption. And we fight the wicked as God leads us. The Holy Spirit empowers Christ’s followers to be as bold as a lion, trusting God in every situation.

        This is often a murky area. I hope I have cleared the waters rather than muddying them further. The Church needs to be confident in our freedom in Christ and our need to be obedient to Christ. That's for all Christians. All must follow His Way. We are born again. And the law of Christ is written on our hearts. The Holy Spirit sets us free to make holy decisions in obedience to God. All Christians are free from the rules of sacrificing animals to be right with God, the rules surrounding a place of worship as to where God is, and any customs that talk of a coming Savior. Jesus entered this world to rescue us. That mission was finished with the death and resurrection of Jesus. The old way is gone. Thank God. Jesus explained to Paul that the Jews in Jerusalem would not accept Paul’s testimony about the Messiah (22:18). And Jesus encouraged Paul that because of his faithful witness in Jerusalem that Paul would preach in Rome as well - an even bigger time of trial and suffering and opportunity to serve God.

This is still a hard lesson today because it sounds like we are throwing out the law of Moses. We are not. Jesus fulfills the law. We are throwing out any nonsense that says there are two ways to heaven and anything that disclaims all of what Jesus fulfilled with his life, death, and victory over death. And anything that contradicts Jesus’ commands to Peter, Paul, and each of us about how every believer must live.

The New Testament, brought alive and counseled to us by the Holy Spirit, tells every believer in Jesus Christ how he or she must live today. Thank God!

Mark your ground today. Mark your life as a disciple of Jesus. You may be trusting a powerful man or putting your hope in an organization to help you. Stop it. That is useless. Trust only in the God of Jacob. Our help comes only from Jesus Christ, our Lord and God (Psalm 146).

Lord Jesus, please help us understand our freedom. Please open our eyes to your Way. Help us forgive those who attack and hate us because of our love for you. Help us to love them well, and please use us to draw people to you.

Thank you, my King.

Amen.

The Conversion of Mary Magdelene (London National Gallery)