God gave them the same gift

Acts 11 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, ³ saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” ⁴ But Peter began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence, saying, ⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came right down to me, ⁶ and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air. ⁷ I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ ⁸ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹ But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky. ¹¹ And behold, at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from Caesarea. ¹² The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; ¹⁴ and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’¹⁵ And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. ¹⁶ And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’¹⁷ Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”¹⁸ When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”

¹⁹ So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. ²⁰ But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹ And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. ²² The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. ²³ Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; ²⁴ for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord. ²⁵ And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; ²⁶ and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

²⁷ Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.²⁸ One of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius. ²⁹ And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. ³⁰ And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.

In today’s text it says: The apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.  And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” But Peter began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence… as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”  When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”   Indeed Jesus sacrifice on the cross was for the sins of all, regardless of ethnicity or heritage. It is important though to remember that Jesus Himself was a Jew. He kept the law and observed the Jewish feasts. His focus, when He preached the gospel of the kingdom, was to share His message to Jews. In Matthew 10:5-8, when Jesus first sent out the 12 disciples, it says:  These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”  In Matthew 15:24, when Jesus was approached by a non Jewish woman regarding her daughter, Jesus said:  “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  Why is it important that Jesus came from and for the redemption of the Jewish people, even though His sacrifice on the cross was and is for all who believe?   In Matthew 5:17-20 Jesus says:   “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”   Jesus came as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. The Jewish people knew and understood what it was; what it is that was and is fulfilled in Christ. Jesus came as the Messiah spoken of for thousands of years by the Old Testament prophets. Jesus came to fulfill what the Law could not do. The Law required continual sacrifices for sin. Jesus sacrifice on the cross, once for all, paid the price for the sins of all who believe. Through Him, all that is necessary to be reconciled to God is fully accomplished. It is fulfilled.

It is important then that those who were not under the Law, still recognize what Jesus fulfilled. Ephesians 2:8-9 is a foundational scripture for much of the church today. It says:  By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.   The Law required works, but faith in Christ is by grace. It is a gift from God.   Many people though, who do not have an understanding of the Law, consider the Law to be bad. The Law was given by God, so to say that the Law is bad is to say that God was wrong in giving it. The Law was given for a time, until it could be fulfilled in and by Christ through grace. If we only know grace, without an understanding of what Christ fulfilled by grace, it lessens the value of the free gift of God. Many who only know grace believe that sin no longer matters, that grace covers every sin. Yet again Jesus says:  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”   Grace does not do away with the Law. Neither does it do away with the consequences of sin. Romans 6:23 says:  The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Everything that God has established in the Law, every iota, every dot, is still valid. Fortunately for us, for all who believe, the requirements of the Law are fulfilled in Christ by grace. 2 Timothy 3:16 says:  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.  When Paul wrote that all scripture was the Law and the prophets. Now, from Genesis to Revelation, all scripture speaks of God desire and His plan for the redemption of man. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that plan and desire.  Ephesians 2:8-10 says:  For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.  To continue in sin because of the grace of God not only devalues the gift of God. It invalidates the fulfillment of the sacrifice of Christ. If we believe then we cannot continue in sin. We must recognize that we are created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. 

Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit for the grace by which I am saved. May I never lose sight or lack understanding of how great a gift it is that Christ fulfilled the Law, redeeming me from sin. May I truly be recreated in Christ, by grace, that I might do the good works You have prepared for me and prepared me for.  Amen.