Acts 15:6-11: a reflection

6The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter. 7When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News and believe. 8God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us. 9He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10Now therefore why do you tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”

At the Jerusalem council, the question was whether Gentile believers had to keep the whole law of Moses to be saved. Peter stands and settles it with his own experience: God gave the Gentiles the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, he says; he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. And he draws the conclusion: why put on them a yoke that neither we nor our fathers could bear? We believe we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.

Notice two things Peter insists on. First, God makes no distinction. He did not save Jews one way and Gentiles another; he cleansed both hearts by faith, gave both the same Spirit, received both on the same terms. Grace levels everyone; there is no inner circle saved by superior credentials and an outer circle saved by something less. And second, we are all saved the same way: through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are. Not by law-keeping, an unbearable yoke, but by grace, for everyone alike.

That is a liberating and unifying truth. No one is saved by their pedigree, their law-keeping, their religious credentials; everyone, without distinction, is saved by the same grace of the Lord Jesus. That levels our pride and includes the outsider; the impressive believer and the newest, least-qualified one stand on exactly the same ground, grace. Do not think anyone is saved by being better or more qualified, and do not think yourself outside because you lack credentials. We are all saved the same way, by grace, just as they are.

Lord, Peter declared that you make no distinction, that you cleanse every heart by faith and save everyone the same way, through the grace of the Lord Jesus. Free me from thinking anyone is saved by superior credentials, or that I am outside because I lack them. Level my pride, and include me and the outsider alike on the one ground of grace. We are all saved the same way, by your grace. Thank you that it is enough for everyone.