September 3
Bible Reading: Acts 15:6-11
Acts 15:11, “But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly defines that which is required for salvation: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” In wrestling with the Gentile question, Peter relied on that same truth in declaring salvation to be by grace!
The Judaizers wanted the Gentiles to be subjected to the law. The problem with the law is that no one (except for Jesus) has been able to keep it. For one thing, we lack the heart to do it, for though the law is virtuous, the sin principle within us doesn’t agree (Romans 7:10-11). Additionally, to fulfill the law, one must do so perfectly. To break one link in a chain is to render it useless, and to fail at one point of the law makes one accountable to the whole of it (James 2:10). The history of the Jews is filled with examples that prove the law represented a yoke too big to bear (Acts 15:10). God did not give the law to improve men somehow so that they could merit salvation, but to convince them of their need for Jesus (Galatians 3:24).
A squirrel cannot pull a yoke meant for an ox, and a man cannot handle the yoke of the law. To be saved from the sin burden that afflicts us all, one must look to the grace of God. Grace means gift, and, with respect to salvation, has been defined as God’s “unmerited favor.” The unmerited part speaks to the reality we are all sinners and helpless to measure up to God’s holy standards (Ephesians 2:1-3). As “children of wrath,” we are deserving of God’s judgment (Ephesians 2:3; Romans 6:23). But God, who is rich in mercy and grace, has intervened by opening a door of salvation through Jesus’ death on the cross for sin (Romans 5:8). That salvation is freely given as a gift to all who place their trust in Jesus (Romans 10:9; Ephesians 2:8-9).
The sad reality of the attempt to earn salvation is that a person can bear the burden of that yoke for their entire life and receive no benefit. The good news is that we serve a giving God and a loving Savior who has worked to resolve our sin affliction. Jesus made this offer to all burdened by a yoke too big to bear: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Any attempt to earn one’s salvation by law-keeping represents a yoke too big to bear, but where “sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Romans 5:20-21).
“Only by grace can we enter, only by grace can we stand; not by our human endeavor but by the blood of the Lamb.”- Gerrit Gustafson
BURDENS ARE LIFTED AT CALVARY
Days are filled with sorrow and care
Hearts are lonely and drear
Burdens are lifted at Calvary
Jesus is very near
Refrain:
Burdens are lifted at Calvary
Calvary, Calvary
Burdens are lifted at Calvary
Jesus is very near
Cast your care on Jesus today
Leave your worry and fear
Burdens Are Lifted At Calvary
Jesus is very near [Refrain]
Troubled soul, the Savior can see
Every heartache and tear
Burdens are lifted at Calvary
Jesus is very near [Refrain]
LookingtoJesus 