Freedom In Christ Series

The point he’s making is that the gentiles have always been a part of God’s plan and will continue to be forever. All through the Old Testament you see God making a way for the gentiles to approach Him. The Jews were chosen by God to show the world His reality – but not at the exclusion of the gentiles.

So if the gentiles could come to God in the past, and if they were a part of what God is doing in the future, of course they can come to God now, and come just as they are!

Salvation is for all people. You don’t have to become someone you aren’t to come to

Christ, you just have to come by faith. What freedom we have in Christ.

Now while the apostles instructed the Pharisees to accept the gentile believers just as they were, they also instructed the gentiles to not be a stumbling block to their Jewish brothers in Christ. You see, there were things that the gentiles engaged in that would have been great hindrances to the Jewish believer’s faith, so they were told to stop doing those things. And remember, our freedom in Christ enables us to live as we ought to live.

So we now see how [6] selflessness promotes unity.

[Read Acts 15:20-21.]

The apostles instructed the gentile believers to stop doing three things – three things that were prevalent in their culture.

1. Eating meat offered to idols…(I Corinthians 8)

2. Fornication…

3. Eating blood…(Genesis 9:1-4)

So they sent the gentile church back in Antioch a letter.

[Read Acts 15:22-29.]

And that was it! The gentiles didn’t have to become Jews to worship God! The disunity could stop as long as everyone remained selfless. As long as the Jews didn’t place a burden on the gentiles, and as long as the gentiles weren’t be a stumbling block to the Jews, unity would remain. Look at the results.

[Read Acts 15:30-35.]

Legalism wasn’t allowed to fester in that place. They all gave up their right to be the boss and allowed the Lord to decide how they should live. You see, when people get selfless, people get along. When people get selfless, people get along. And God gives us the freedom to consider others first. Let us not go the way of the legalists and try to spiritualize and even enforce our preferences! We are free in Christ. Let others be free! [7]