Living Above the Law
8. And God, Who knows the hearts, bare them witness, and gave to them the Holy Spirit, even as He did unto us.
9. And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10. Now therefore, why do you tempt God, to put a yoke on the neck of the Disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11. But we believe that through the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved, even as they.
Acts 15:8-11
The Question of Grace vs. Law
This particular portion of the Bible is perhaps the richest of all texts when it comes to understanding that the relationship between the believer and God is based on nothing but Grace through Faith. There have been many who have attempted to justify their position with God by performing various acts, accomplishing certain deeds, and even adhering to certain doctrines. But the truth of the matter is that there is nothing that any individual could ever do to “earn Salvation.” If God’s forgiveness were based on the keeping of the Law, then the Sacrifice of Christ Jesus was all in vain. This text will help us understand that the Law was given to point to our sin but the Grace of God was given to pardon the sins of all who believe in Christ as Savior. We must pay attention as to how the matter of Grace to the Gentiles meant that the Law had been satisfied and that God’s free Gift had come to set the sinner free.
In Acts 15, some were concerned that the Law of Moses was not being taught or even required of the Gentile believers. The early Church held a conference to resolve the matter and to clarify what role the Law played in the day-to-day life of the Christian. While the matter focused on the issue of circumcision, the broader implications dealt with how the Apostles would provide guidance for the Church that Grace was sufficient. The question was simple: did the keeping of the Law of Moses still apply to the life of the Christian? If not, how was a Christian to live a righteous life before God? As you can see, these questions still apply to the Church today. So, lets dig deeper to discover how the early Church handled this Grace versus Law question.
For starters, absolutely no one should discount the value of the Law of Moses. Why? The Law was given by God through Moses to the children of Israel. Therefore, the Law is Holy and good. The Law taught the people that God was a Righteous God and demanded that God’s people would be the same. The Ten Commandments give the primary focus of what Righteousness looked like and how it should be practiced. The other portions of the Law included the sacrificial system, dietary laws, and codes that addressed health issues, fair treatment of one another, and directions for living a good life before God. In summary, the Law of God was perfect.
The Law was also Israel’s Guide for living. Imagine coming out of Egypt and knowing only the life of slavery. Without the Law to guide them to live as a community and nation, the family of Israel would have destroyed themselves within a matter of years if not sooner. God’s Law provided the direction for the Israelites to think like a nation rather than a chaotic society. Without laws nations will perish. Lawlessness must never become the rule for life. Not only would that invite the wrath of God, it would also cause people to destroy themselves.
The third purpose of the Law was to give the people of Israel a sense of comradery and fellowship. God’s Law brought people together in a good way and in a wholesome way that taught respect, dignity, and more importantly, identity. Israel was not just any nation or any people, they were God’s people and they embraced God’s Law as their national identity. As you will recall from reading the Old Testament, God blessed the nation of Israel when they followed the Law but punished them when they turned away from it.
Finally, the Law was the teaching tool or text book for daily living. The Priests and Levitical leaders would teach the people how to serve God by using the Law. Here is where we run into the limitations of the Law of Moses. The Law could not change the hearts of people. Nor could the Law offer a permanent cleansing for sin. It was a wonderful guide for living but had no power to convert anyone. But the problem was not with the Law but rather with the people. The Law was weakened by the presence of sin in the heart. Here is the good news, the Law made temporary provisions for forgiveness through the sacrifice of animals and other food offerings. Even with that, the same person would have to come and make the same sacrifices year after year and was never delivered from the bondage of sin in the heart.
So there you have it. There is both the goodness of the Law along with the weakness and wickedness of people. The Law pointed to something that was needed by man: a permanent solution for sin. That solution could not be provided through a written code but could only be established through God and by God Himself. That is why Christ Jesus came in the flesh. First, He fulfilled the Law by living a sinless life before His Father. Second, He offered Himself as the Holy Sacrifice to satisfy the requirements of the Law. Get this: for all people for all time. This meant He only had to die once because He was the One Holy Sacrifice that all the other sacrifices had pointed to. As John the Baptist had mightily prophesied: “Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.” Then, Jesus rose from the grave to be the High Priest to all who believe on Him. It does not stop there, then He gave His Spirit to change the hearts and lives of all who believe in Him so that they would live righteous before God. And with this we arrive at the question of whether a Christian is required to keep the Law of Moses. The answer is obviously “NO.”
The Conclusion of the Matter
The early Church had two issues to consider. First, would Gentile believers (for that matter) believers in general be required to keep the Law of Moses? Second, how would believers govern their lives and live holy before God without a guide? This is where we focus on “Living Above the Law.” The Apostle Peter’s response to the “keepers of the Law” offers some profound answers to these two concerns.
For starters, Peter addressed the heart issue and how believers are to live their lives. And God, Who knows the hearts, bare them witness, and gave to them the Holy Spirit, even as He did unto us. God knew what was in the heart and gave the solution to solve the problem. God gave the Holy Spirit. This had been revealed through the Prophet Ezekiel that God Almighty would take away the stony heart of man and give a new heart, then God would place His Spirit in the heart to teach the believer the right way. That is powerful. What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sent His Only Son to change people’s hearts. What a wonderful truth! The Holy Spirit was given to Gentiles without the keeping of the Law, but through another Law of Grace. God’s Gift is now abiding in the heart of everyone who believes the Gospel.
So, would the Gentiles still need to keep the Law of Moses? Not according to Peter and the prompting of the Holy Spirit. According to Peter, God Almighty put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Notice the term “purifying their hearts,” which points to God working in the heart of the believer without the presence or influence of the Law. If you recall, Peter preached to the household of Cornelius and while he was preaching the Holy Spirit came upon the people and filled them with power. They did not have to offer a sacrifice. They did not first get circumcised. God performed the work in their heart. Therefore we can conclude that Christ is the end of the Law to everyone who believes.
Should the Gentiles still be required to keep the Law for the sake of identity with their Israelite brethren? As we have already stated, the Law has been perfectly satisfied by following Christ. Here is the Apostle Peter’s argument. Why do you tempt God, to put a yoke on the neck of the Disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? To put it plainly, Peter said that the Law would be a yoke or burden on the necks of the Disciples that they would not be able to keep. Then he admits that none of the fathers of Israel were able to keep the Law. They all fell short even though they tried. So, Peter concluded by saying, But we believe that through the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved, even as they. God’s Grace was enough and is still enough today.
Closing Arguments
As the Church council at Jerusalem took their final vote to not require the Gentiles to keep the Law of Moses, they did offer some guidance on following the direction of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles and leaders sent a letter to the Gentile believers and urged them to follow some necessary things. Acts 15:20 gave four directives of conduct. Abstain from the pollutions of idols. Abstain from fornication. Abstain from things strangled and from blood. These four directives are more about fellowship than they are about a written code of requirements. The first has to do with fellowship with God by abstaining from idolatry and pagan worship. The second has to do with fellowship with your neighbor by abstaining from fornication. The third and fourth directives have to do with fellowship among fellow Jews. Lest the diets of Gentiles offend the Jews, they were directed to abstain from things strangled and from blood. In this manner, both Jews and Gentiles would be able to worship God together.
Here are some things to remember as you move forward in your faith. First and foremost, your relationship with God should be based on love and trust. God loved you enough to give you the Holy Spirit as your guide. Love God enough to seek to honor Him and not look to a list of “Do’s and Don’ts” as your instructions. Instead, listen to the Holy Spirit as He leads you in the path of Righteousness for His Name Sake. That way, you will enjoy your journey with God.
Another consideration is the fact that there is no need for a written code when you have God’s Presence to guide you each day. When the Holy Spirit comes, He will guide you in the Truth. You will learn the ways of God through the personal teachings and the intimate relationship of knowing God for yourself. The Words of the Law are good and powerful but they are the Schoolmaster. The Voice of the Holy Spirit is the Voice of your Father speaking in your heart saying, “This is the way – walk in it.”
Finally, do not allow your flesh or Satan to tempt you into thinking that you can do right or be right by keeping the Law. God wanted to give you His free Grace to work in you in order to make you perfect before Him. Don’t frustrate God’s Gift and don’t embarrass yourself with the thought of self-perfection. Simply accept the Gift and be done with it.
The fullness of time has come and God is preparing for Himself a Holy People. He has given them the Holy Spirit in order that they might become children of God not according to the Law but through the perfecting of Grace. God, Who knows the hearts, bare them witness, and gave to them the Holy Spirit, even as He did unto us … And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. With that, my friend, you and I can live above the Law.