The Sufficiency of Grace (Acts 15:1-11, Jeff Kliewer)

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death you know the famous poem by Robert Frost two roads diverged in a yellow wood and Sorry, I could not travel both and be one traveler long

I stood and looked down as far as I could to where it bent in the undergrowth two woods diverging and to the left one traveler may go and This is the path of lawlessness

Along this road looking for life people pursue pleasure Disregarding what

God has said they press forward to do what they desire to do

It seems right to a man, but it leads in death leads to death the second road as You stand at that divide and peer down it leads in the opposite direction and Wines here and there and as you go along that road

You meet a man like Pelagius Who came from Britain in the 400s about and visited?

with people and as an ascetic he gave up all that he could and he said that there was no sin inherited from Adam and He taught people that they had the ability to do good

And many followed his teaching as you continue down this road you'll run into Joseph Smith who teaches certain temple rituals and rites to achieve the celestial glory

You'll run into Russell Taze Russell You'll run into Jehovah's Witnesses oneness

Pentecostals You'll run into all kinds of religionists down this path in fact

You will find people who will tell you what you must do in order to be saved Follow the

Eightfold Path Says Siddhartha Guatamo Follow the the five pillars says

Muhammad follow the Ten Commandments says the Sanhedrin down this path is legalism

Down this path is the effort to keep the law. There's two roads that diverge in the forest and Both of them lead to death

There are two roads that lead to death one comes to this thing this pillar of stone and It's called the law

It's the commandments of God thou shalt not thou shalt not thou shalt not and Confronted with that in his face.

He turns to the left and he says I will Has God really said he disregards the law of God and goes his own way

Not concerned for what God has said The other path says I will

You tell me to do this and I will this path is called legalism where the person tries

Genuinely to keep the law of God To the left the person breaks the law and is broken by it to the right the person tries to keep it, but falls short and the end thereof is death

Two roads and all the people of this earth are travelers in this woods and All are confronted with this law having to choose to go left or right and none of them find life

The gospel of grace is the good news That God Came down from heaven

And rescued dead sinners You see these wanders in the forest are dead like zombies the walking dead

To the left they look for life in the things of the world to the right They look for life in keeping the law, but the problem is they can't keep it and they are dead

The gospel of grace is that God has come down and rescued dead sinners to himself

It's a different path altogether It's the only path of salvation It's the way of Jesus Christ that he being

God was born into this world from a virgin and lived a perfect sinless life walking in perfect righteousness according to the law as no other man could and Keeping the law he accrued righteousness actively in obedience to the law

Then dying on the cross he died the sinner's death in the stead of sinners

And he rose from the grave giving life to those who will believe in him This is the message of grace

It's revealed from heaven. Just like the Son of God came down from heaven. No one would have guessed it

No one would have imagined it. It's the only way to be saved This is the gospel of grace

Today turn with me if you will to Acts chapter 15 This week we will deal with the danger to the right the danger of legalism that leads to death the path that promises life, but cannot deliver and Next week we'll talk about Antinomianism those who are against the law

Acts chapter 15 I notice a lot of people don't preach this passage because it's not too exciting

They'll just skip it But it's important because many wander down this path to the right it's interesting in Robert Frost poem

He was actually writing that poem as a joke to his friend Edward Thomas Edward Thomas and he used to go for a walk in the woods often and Thomas would always deliberate about which way to go and And sometimes he would go down one way and he would always regret the way that he chose thinking if he had only gone the other way

Things would have worked out better As he looked back on the path that he would take in the road less traveled.

He says he chose the one less traveled Robert Frost writes that but then as he thinks about it more in the poem

He says well actually they're about equally traveled and the leaves have covered the path and you can't tell which is more traveled

That's how it is in this world. I Don't know if there's more people who die to the left or die to the right there's more than a billion who follow the teachings of Muhammad and There's maybe close to a billion who follow the teachings of the

Buddha many people follow religion and many people that you know go down that path and die by it and Yet, it's a more sinister road

Because people traveling that way think that by their works They are being saved

When in fact, they're losing the one way of salvation, which is by grace alone.

So turn with me to Acts 15 Sinners are saved solely through the grace of the

Lord Jesus Any teacher who adds work requirements, that's rituals good works that you have to do traditions

Sacraments whatever as the means of salvation is departing from the gospel

Many people who claim Christianity will say that grace is necessary that God Sends his grace to save sinners that's necessary for salvation, but they will not say that grace is sufficient

That grace is able to do saving work It's up to the sinner to add some work to what

Jesus has accomplished and today We're going to talk about why that is so dangerous

Why that teaching is actually a false road that leads to nothing but death

Let's read it in the text. I'm going to read through just 11 verses today But crucial for our understanding of the gospel of grace often when we're trying to understand something we want to see it in crystal -clear focus

One of the best ways to understand something is to look at what is not that thing this not that It brings it into clear focus when you're able to distinguish it from something that looks like it, but it's different When we say this is what grace is we clarify that by saying now, that's what it is not

So that's why this is so important today in Acts 15 1 to 11, but some men came down from Judea and We're teaching the brothers

Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses. You cannot be saved and After Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them

Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and the elders about this question

So being sent on their way by the church they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria describing in detail the conversion of the

Gentiles and brought great joy to all the brothers when they came to Jerusalem They were welcomed by the church and the

Apostles and the elders and they declared all that God had done with them but some believers who belong to the party of the

Pharisees rose up and said It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses The Apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter and After there had been much debate

Peter stood up and said to them brothers You know that in the early days

God made a choice among you that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe and God who knows the heart bore witness to them by giving them the

Holy Spirit just as he did to us and He made no distinction Between us and them having cleansed their hearts by faith

Now therefore, why are you putting God to the test? By placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear

And mark this verse very well Highlight it underline it star it

Memorize it if you can But we believe That we will be saved

Through the grace of the Lord Jesus just as they will

That's the thesis of what I hope to teach today That we are saved by grace through faith in Christ Without work

Without any adding anything to what God has done He provides salvation we contribute nothing in Acts 15 one some teachers notice they come

Down from Judea now notice. This is due north from Jerusalem Antioch is north of Jerusalem, but Everything when you're coming from Jerusalem is down Okay, even if you're heading due north the hill of Jerusalem is kind of the center point of God's economy and Going down from Jerusalem.

They go north to to Antioch these teachers come and They declare unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses you cannot be saved

Wherever the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached there will be danger in the churches of Those who will come and say that you must add something to what

Christ has done in the gospel What do they add in this verse? circumcision in other words the sign of Judaism Abraham having circumcised

Isaac was by that sign indicating that he was part of the promise the covenant people of God the descendants of Abraham the children of God and So these

Judaizers come and say you must become Jewish in order to be saved You must circumcise your children and raise them to obey the entire law of Moses and by law -keeping

Plus the work that Jesus did you can be saved notice. These are believers. These are people who believe that Jesus is the

Messiah They just want to add one thing one thing in this verse the sign of circumcision

Mark that well in Verse two after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them

Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and the elders about this question

Here's a question is debate good or bad? Is debate good or bad?

Well, let's look at the text after Paul and Barnabas. These are Apostles Had no small dissension and debate with them

Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem about this question

In this text debate is good Debate is good

Now why do I stress this so much because in the culture that we live in there has been a downgrading of the concept of truth

Many people in our culture believe that truth is privatized that I have my truth and you have your truth and Each person brings their own truth to the table.

Therefore the one sin the one undebatable thing is To say that your truth is better than somebody else's

That would be intolerant That would be evil

But the higher your view of truth is the higher your view of the scripture is

The more you will appreciate the entire field of apologetics

Because in apologetics we make a defense of the gospel first Peter 3 15 always be ready to give a defense for the hope that you have it presupposes that you believe that God speaks truth and our part is to be conformed to that and So there's reason for debate, especially in Non -peripheral matters, but things that are essential to the gospel

The more passionately you love Jesus Christ The more important it will be to you to defend the gospel of grace

I want you to mark in verse 2 that for Paul and Barnabas. This is no small dissension

No small dissension and debate They are passionate about this subject.

This subject matters to them. This subject matters to them so much They are willing to fight for the truth of the gospel of grace

Verse 3 so being sent on their way by the church they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria Describing in detail the conversion of the

Gentiles and brought great joy to all the brothers When they came to Jerusalem They were welcomed by the church and the

Apostles and the elders and they declared all that God had done with them now notice

What we are defending our apologia our defense is of something positive and joyful and good and worth dying for and worth defending it is the gospel of grace as Paul and Barnabas are

Traveling along they're spreading the word of the gospel of grace and how the gospel of grace is triumphing wherever they go

Turn with me to Acts chapter 20 verse 24 another great memory verse if you want to Take some time this week to memorize a

Bible verse. This would be well worth your time Acts chapter 20 verse 24

Paul says But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself

If only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the

Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God The message of God can rightly be summarized in the word grace it is the gospel of grace and Paul can rightly say that this gospel is more valuable to him than his very life

I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself if only

I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of The grace of God returning to Acts 15 notice

He's passionate enough to defend it but in verse 3 and 4 this is what he's talking about wherever he goes

Brothers and sisters We have something Beautiful we have something amazing.

We have something positive to say to the world the message of God's grace the message of a

God who saves undeserving sinners is the treasure that we carry with us and People here are brought to great joy verse 3 as they hear it

The message of grace learn to treasure what we're going to talk about today The message of grace and grace alone verse 5

Here then is the contrast This is the contrast that will bring grace back into focus and help you help me to see it more clearly hopefully than ever before Some believers who belong to the party of the

Pharisees rose up and said It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses they've made it up to Jerusalem and There they are encountered

By some religious people notice believers. These are people who are professing Christ But I want you to notice something else about them.

Do they ask a question of the Apostles? Do they ask the elders of that local congregation?

Do they ask Paul and Barnabas? No, what does it say? They said

They said they brought a teaching They said it is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses These are false teachers in the church

And there is danger within the Church of Jesus Christ We know there's danger out there in the world where all kinds of wickedness is practiced

We know there's danger without but I think the danger within the church is greater than the danger in the world

Because these are people who profess to follow the same God and the same

Bible that we follow and Yet they add something to salvation

They add as necessary look at that word necessary in verse 5 Going back to verse 1 unless you are circumcised you cannot be saved

It is necessary that someone obey the full law in order to be saved.

These are requirements for salvation Verse 6 the Apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter

Notice who it is that God has appointed first of all Apostles because Apostles bring

New Testament revelation from God and What the Apostles write and say in leading the church is authoritative for the church not just for then but for all time and That's how it is that we have the apostolic word, which is the authority over the church

Notice also that there are elders present because elders are the ones who safeguard the doctrine that the

Apostles taught The Apostles won't live forever But every local church will be ruled or led

I should say by elders and the role of elders according to Titus 1 9 is to refute those who contradict the gospel of Grace, it's to safeguard the apostolic word

So it's the Apostles and the elders that are gathered together gathered to consider this matter in verse 7 after there had been much debate

Peter stood up and said to them Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you that by my mouth the

Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and Believe that was God's choice The hearing and the believing of the gospel from Peter's mouth would happen

But notice in verse 7 at the beginning it says after there had been much debate After much debate

Peter stood Each of those words indicate that this is an authoritative pronouncement a

Lot of people interpret this Jerusalem Council to flow something like this Peter gets up and gives his opinion

Paul and Barnabas give their opinion and Then finally James the brother of Jesus steps up and gives the final and decisive Authoritative word on the subject.

I don't think that's what's happening here According to verse 7

Peter who was the Apostle chosen by God and Who is the leader among the

Apostles as Jesus had ordained that to be? One of the inner circle

Peter stands up which indicates a position of authority and he says

That God has already established this issue Recognize it had been ten years earlier.

We studied it just a few weeks ago in Acts 10 and 11 we did a three -part series called no distinction and in that God reveals

That the Gentiles are included in the gospel of grace by faith

This question was settled when God revealed it through Peter and the Gentiles at that time were not required to be circumcised

They were not required to keep the law of Moses. It's further confirmed in verse 10 when

Peter says Now therefore, why are you putting God to the test? Peter is not standing up to throw out an opinion

He is saying God has spoken and if you disagree with that you are testing God He is making an authoritative pronouncement as an

Apostle so look at verse 8 and 9 Here is the issue of the gospel and it brings it into crystal -clear focus for me when

I read this and God Who knows the heart? Why does

Peter say who knows the heart at this particular place in the text bore witness to them by giving them the

Holy Spirit? just as he did to us and He made no distinction between us and them having cleansed their hearts by faith

I Asked Lord that you would make your gospel clear through this

God knows the hearts and he cleanses hearts by faith

That's the instrument he uses. That's the soap. He uses to scrub away all sin and defilement

God uses Faith in the heart of a person who will believe in Christ Now notice what happened in Acts 10 and 11 you go back to chapter 11 verse 12.

God made no distinction How so well when faith was born in the hearts of the

Gentiles in that particular instance God gave an outward visible sign that they were in fact believing they began to speak in tongues and That outward sign

Confirmed to Peter the Apostle that they also were welcomed without the works of the law

It settled the issue there and then and Peter speaks here in the past tense in verse 8

He bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit Just as he did to us just as we had

Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 the Gentiles had their Gentile Pentecost in Acts chapter 10 and by that unique miracle

Peter was able to say that God welcomes them by faith in other words

We cannot see what happens in the heart of another person We cannot see who's genuinely believing in the

Lord Jesus Christ. You could be sitting here today Listening to me preach.

Maybe you've sat here for months or years But in your heart

You do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God You do not believe that his word has authority over your life

And I can't see that I Can't see into the heart to know who is genuinely born again

There's others that may struggle with sin and you would say there's no way This person has genuine faith.

They must not be born again. But guess what? I can't see their heart to know that for sure By your fruits you will know them but ultimately at the final level, it's

God who knows the heart and Here's the point of the gospel This glorifies

God because in his grace he saves those who have faith in him. He alone knows the heart

God alone knows the heart Faith comes into the heart as a gift from God and Unless you have that You're still wandering in that forest

You may be religious. You may be doing good things like coming to church. You might take communion with us

You might have been baptized Every ritual the outward things that we do might give you hope that you're genuinely born again

But unless faith has been born in your heart You're not yet saved

This is the distinction the outward versus the inward The Jewish people wanted an outward sign unless you are circumcised.

You cannot be saved They wanted the outward rituals of keeping the law the ceremonial

Ceremonial and the dietary laws that if you could keep these things will recognize that you're genuinely saved

But the text points out God knows the heart and faith resides in the heart

Or it doesn't so in verse 10

Peter says you put God to the test if you try to add these outward things as necessary for salvation and finally in verse 11, but we believe

That we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus Just as they will.

I want to quickly make six statements three assertions and three negations from the

Word of God Three positive things and three negative things about the grace of God and Then we'll tie it up in a conclusion as to what we're to take and do with this gospel of grace

Assertion number one and by the way, the first five comes from Romans. So we're gonna flip the five quick verses in Romans If you're quick with your

Bible You can keep up if not, it's already in your notes Take them home.

Look at them the first assertion about grace

Comes from Romans 3 verse 24 We are justified by His grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus Justification is to be declared righteous

To be declared righteous The Bible says that people who are guilty and dead in sin will be declared righteous by God By grace verse 24.

Now we'll learn about faith in just a minute and We are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Now, I want to make a point about this legal declaration of not guilty One of the theologians

I like is named John Murray and he helps to distinguish what we're talking about here by comparing the difference between a judge and a surgeon a

Judge sits on the throne and does nothing inwardly to change the person who's under investigation who's on trial a

Surgeon on the other hand goes into the patient perhaps to remove some disease part of that person a cancerous tumor, let's say

Justification is the work of a judge not a not a surgeon Justification is when

God legally declares that you are righteous That's important John Murray says the purity of the gospel is bound up with the recognition of this distinction if justification is confused with regeneration or Sanctification then the door is open for the perversion of the gospel at its center

Justification is still the article of the standing or the falling of the church

He says that regeneration is different Regeneration is when

God like a surgeon Renews you from the inside and it changes how you live and then you're sanctified you go along this path in life

Becoming more and more like Christ You're changed over time

But justification is God's legal declaration that you are innocent

You are not guilty. You say wait a minute. I'm not innocent. I'm a lawbreaker Well, here's the good news of the gospel.

You miss this you lose the gospel God legally declares righteous over you

Because he takes the righteousness of Christ and he imputes that he credits that to you and In that moment you are declared righteous once and for all the judge has acquitted you and you

No longer are condemned Romans 8 1 now those who are in him. There is no condemnation

No more condemnation a judge either condemns or justifies

We are legally declared righteous By faith and according to Romans 3 24, this is a gift of grace.

And so that leads me to the second assertion The second assertion

You see if it is by grace Then it accords with faith

Faith in the heart Accords with the grace that comes from God Turn with me to Romans 4 16 as He's giving this discourse on Justification by faith he connects the two and this is the assertion that it's so important that each of us understand

Romans 4 16 that is why it depends on faith in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed

To all his offspring not only to the adherent of the law But also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham who is the father of us all

The way that God saves sinners is by grace through faith and Those two ideas of grace and faith are not completely separate ideas

It's the grace of God that brings faith into the heart by which we are legally declared righteous

It Is by faith in order that it might rest on grace according to Romans 4 16 and later in chapter 10

He'll say look Who can accomplish his own salvation? Shall I ascend up into heaven to bring him down?

Or should I descend into to the grave to bring Christ up from the dead? No The word is near you it is in your heart

So that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved you see