I love the contrast between the way the message of Jesus is met between the Jews and the Gentiles, which is really easily seen once Paul launches out into his ministry here in Acts.  And then, further, it is great to see how the early church wrestled with how this issue of what is  really ‘required’ of a person to be adopted into the church.  It is always important to remember that what an institution adopts as an outward symbol of faith is different than what God instructs as a means of salvation - believe in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as a substitute for our own death, for which we are deserving because of our sin, so that we can be restored in relationship with God - that is all that God instructs that we believe as a means to His saving Grace.  But, a church has to have some level of outward symbol that can be adopted that its members can all have in common, some kind of a unity or a bond, and that’s the thing the church was wrestling with in chapter 15 of Acts.  And it is carries a lot of similarity with the contract between way the message of Jesus was met by  the Jews and the Christians.  And this same issue lives in many Christians’ hearts today.  It is this question, “Should we all have to earn our way into the church, in some way?”

It is a natural question, and it is a question that really is rooted in pride if we are being honest.   But, it is a flawed logic, and here is why.

First off, your reward for abiding to God’s law is really supposed to be (in a post-Jesus world) unity with God.  And, we know this, because that was the consequence of the original sin - separation from God.  If you are abiding so God will do your favors, or you are abiding so you can get anything other than unity with God, you missed the point.  God gave us the Law to show us how to draw close to Him in relationship - not as a way to ‘win’ at life somehow.  Think about this...if we could control God through right-living, then how sovereign, how omniscient is God?  He wouldn’t be!  God can’t be controlled or manipulated by our actions...He is WAY bigger than that.

Secondly, fairness is not a principle that is taught anywhere in the Bible or life, and we should just drop that from our vocabulary.  Fairness is a ridiculous idea.  God can do with his stuff what God wants to do.  You can give your money to the causes you choose, and if you decide you want to give $1,000 to the Goodwill and $100 to the Boys & Girls Club, then the Boys & Girls Club can’t sue you because you weren’t fair - that’s ridiculous.  It is your money, and you can do with it what you want.  As Christians, we just take a it a step further, and we adopt a mindset that we are God’s people, we are God’s resources, and God is free to use us as He pleases.  The beauty of our faith comes in understanding and appreciating the fact that God created us for a purpose, and that He only uses us for that purpose, and that in living out that purpose, ironically, we are actually able to experience the maximum joy possible in our lives.  We experience life at its best when we let go and let God.

I am reminded of this lesson as I am reading this morning, that we are due nothing, and we can earn nothing, and that we should never use our experiences as a measuring stick or point of comparison to judge whether or not someone is or isn’t a Christian, nor should be use it to judge whether or not they are a good person.  God is that judge.