To listen to the audio version, click here.
March 10
Unity amid Discord
They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.
—Acts 15:39
In the early 1970s, a cult called Heaven’s Gate was formed. The members were convinced that the earth was going to be “recycled,” and the only chance to survive and make it to the next level was to get rid of everything that connected them to this planet. They were forced to give up everything that made them unique: their family, their friends, their jobs, their possessions, and their personalities. The ultimate goal was to erase their “personal histories.”
On March 26, 1997, the bodies of thirty-nine members of Heaven’s Gate were found dead after the group members committed mass suicide. They were allegedly trying to reach an alien spaceship headed for the Comet Hale-Bopp. Sadly, the brainwashing they experienced prevented them from thinking for themselves and being able to distinguish truth from deception.
It’s a sign of a healthy, functioning church to have members who have minds of their own and personalities of their own, and who offer contrasting opinions. As tempting as it may sound to worship in a place where no one ever rocks the boat or disagrees with one another, that’s not healthy or desirable. Only cults experience that kind of monolithic agreement.
Since disagreement is inevitable in a functioning church body, we need to figure out how to deal with differences of opinion in a healthy way. Paul and Barnabas reached an impasse when it came to John Mark and if he should join them on their journey (Acts 15:26-39). But they weren’t the only people in the early church to experience significant disagreement.
In the closing of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he addresses a conflict between two women who were apparently vibrant members of the church there: “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel” (Philippians 4:2-3).
Paul also addresses conflict in his letter to the Corinthian church with this plea: “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1:10-13).
We have much to learn from the early church about the importance of unity and the way we handle conflict. If conflict is left unchecked, it will cause deep fractures under the surface until the church splinters in devastating ways. But if conflict is addressed in love and honesty, the body can grow even closer together as a result.
Challenge: Thank God for the Christians in your life who see things differently from you. Ask God to bring peace and respect to your relationships, even when you disagree.
—Stephanie Rische
Monday, March 9th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
March 9
The Upside of Conflict
Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.
—Acts 15:36-38
One you become a Christian, you instinctively join hands with the believers around you, burst out in spontaneous rounds of “Kumbaya,” and live happily ever after. Right?
Well, not exactly. The truth is, God didn’t make us uniform robots; he created us as unique individuals, with our own distinct opinions, thoughts, personalities, emotions, perspectives, and experiences. This keeps life interesting . . . but it can also create friction among believers.
Unity, as it turns out, does not mean sameness. It doesn’t mean Christians will always agree. Yes, there are some nonnegotiables we hold on to as the core beliefs of the Christian faith, but there are many other areas where there is space for followers of Christ to thoughtfully consider, discuss, and come to different conclusions.
And while disagreement can be difficult and uncomfortable at times, it can also be a good thing. For starters, when we are forced to articulate what we believe about a particular issue, it sharpens our thinking, helping us to clarify what we think and prepping us to discuss it not only within the church but also with the rest of the world. Disagreement forces us to really wrestle through an issue and consider the implications before jumping to an easy conclusion. Finally, disagreement teaches us to love and empathize with people who aren’t like us and see the world differently than we do.
In the book of Acts, Paul and Barnabas came up against a conflict they couldn’t resolve. Barnabas felt they should take John Mark with them on their missionary journey, while Paul was against it. John Mark had deserted them on their first journey, and while Barnabas was ready to give him another chance, Paul thought that wouldn’t be wise. If Paul and Barnabas, two godly men who were pillars of the early church, experienced conflict, then we can’t expect anything different ourselves.
Thankfully, the early church offers insight for us about how to deal with different types of conflict. When it came to the Gentile question—whether believers needed to follow the Jewish laws to be saved—this was a critical, gospel-level issue that needed to be resolved once and for all (see Acts 15:1-35). But when it came to this conflict about whether John Mark should come along on their journey, the two men never came to a consensus.
There’s a lesson here for us as we inevitably face conflict in the church. If there is a conflict over something that’s a matter of opinion—something that’s not a foundational Christian belief—there may come a point when it’s appropriate to agree to disagree. If each party thinks through the issue, talks it through together civilly, and still disagrees, the most unifying thing to do may be to go separate ways, like Paul and Barnabas did.
When have you seen a disagreement handled in a godly way in the church? When have you seen a disagreement handled in a divisive way?
—Stephanie Rische
March 9
The Upside of Conflict
Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.
—Acts 15:36-38
One you become a Christian, you instinctively join hands with the believers around you, burst out in spontaneous rounds of “Kumbaya,” and live happily ever after. Right?
Well, not exactly. The truth is, God didn’t make us uniform robots; he created us as unique individuals, with our own distinct opinions, thoughts, personalities, emotions, perspectives, and experiences. This keeps life interesting . . . but it can also create friction among believers.
Unity, as it turns out, does not mean sameness. It doesn’t mean Christians will always agree. Yes, there are some nonnegotiables we hold on to as the core beliefs of the Christian faith, but there are many other areas where there is space for followers of Christ to thoughtfully consider, discuss, and come to different conclusions.
And while disagreement can be difficult and uncomfortable at times, it can also be a good thing. For starters, when we are forced to articulate what we believe about a particular issue, it sharpens our thinking, helping us to clarify what we think and prepping us to discuss it not only within the church but also with the rest of the world. Disagreement forces us to really wrestle through an issue and consider the implications before jumping to an easy conclusion. Finally, disagreement teaches us to love and empathize with people who aren’t like us and see the world differently than we do.
In the book of Acts, Paul and Barnabas came up against a conflict they couldn’t resolve. Barnabas felt they should take John Mark with them on their missionary journey, while Paul was against it. John Mark had deserted them on their first journey, and while Barnabas was ready to give him another chance, Paul thought that wouldn’t be wise. If Paul and Barnabas, two godly men who were pillars of the early church, experienced conflict, then we can’t expect anything different ourselves.
Thankfully, the early church offers insight for us about how to deal with different types of conflict. When it came to the Gentile question—whether believers needed to follow the Jewish laws to be saved—this was a critical, gospel-level issue that needed to be resolved once and for all (see Acts 15:1-35). But when it came to this conflict about whether John Mark should come along on their journey, the two men never came to a consensus.
There’s a lesson here for us as we inevitably face conflict in the church. If there is a conflict over something that’s a matter of opinion—something that’s not a foundational Christian belief—there may come a point when it’s appropriate to agree to disagree. If each party thinks through the issue, talks it through together civilly, and still disagrees, the most unifying thing to do may be to go separate ways, like Paul and Barnabas did.
When have you seen a disagreement handled in a godly way in the church? When have you seen a disagreement handled in a divisive way?
—Stephanie Rische
Friday, March 6th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Friday, March 6th
A Message of Encouragement
The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.
—Acts 15:30-31
In 1994, Rwanda experienced one of the most horrific genocides of the twentieth century. The country was divided into two ethnicities—Hutus and Tutsis—an arbitrary distinction that had its roots in colonialism. In the racist perspective of the European colonists, the Tutsis, with their lighter skin and taller stature, were considered superior to the Hutus.
The tension and resentment festering from this division worsened for decades until the 1990s, when an extremist Hutu regime came to power. They claimed that the Tutsis were inyenzi (cockroaches)—an enemy that must be crushed. Thus began an ethnic genocide that lasted one hundred days and left nearly a million Rwandans dead—about 20 percent of the country’s total population and about 70 percent of the Tutsi minority.
Some twenty years later, the country is still trying to heal from such hatred and atrocities. Not only did Rwanda experience deep schisms, but so did the church, as there were believers on both sides. Could a country that had experienced such fracturing find unity again? Could believers from both groups forgive one another and find oneness in Christ?
It sounds impossible, but God specializes in making the impossible a reality. Remarkable stories of redemption and reconciliation have emerged out of the rubble as Rwanda puts the pieces back together again. Hutus and Tutsis are living in the same neighborhoods, next door to people who killed their own family members. One woman forgave the young man who killed her son, and went so far as to adopt him and bring him into her home as her own son. Bishop John Rucyahana of Prison Fellowship Rwanda says, “Those who are forgiving are not forgiving for the sake of the perpetrators only. They need to free their own selves. Anger, bitterness, the desire to revenge, it’s like keeping our feelings in a container. When you forgive, you feel whole.”
This kind of cultural divide may be difficult for us to comprehend in our context, just as the Gentile-Jewish debate is foreign to us. But although the specifics of what divides us differ, the problem is the same—and so is the solution. We need the kind of unity that can only come through the Holy Spirit.
We read about the fruit this reconciliation within the early church:
Challenge: Is there someone you are experiencing disunity and division with right now? Prayerfully and humbly, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, take a step toward reconciling with that person.
—Stephanie Rische
Friday, March 6th
A Message of Encouragement
The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.
—Acts 15:30-31
In 1994, Rwanda experienced one of the most horrific genocides of the twentieth century. The country was divided into two ethnicities—Hutus and Tutsis—an arbitrary distinction that had its roots in colonialism. In the racist perspective of the European colonists, the Tutsis, with their lighter skin and taller stature, were considered superior to the Hutus.
The tension and resentment festering from this division worsened for decades until the 1990s, when an extremist Hutu regime came to power. They claimed that the Tutsis were inyenzi (cockroaches)—an enemy that must be crushed. Thus began an ethnic genocide that lasted one hundred days and left nearly a million Rwandans dead—about 20 percent of the country’s total population and about 70 percent of the Tutsi minority.
Some twenty years later, the country is still trying to heal from such hatred and atrocities. Not only did Rwanda experience deep schisms, but so did the church, as there were believers on both sides. Could a country that had experienced such fracturing find unity again? Could believers from both groups forgive one another and find oneness in Christ?
It sounds impossible, but God specializes in making the impossible a reality. Remarkable stories of redemption and reconciliation have emerged out of the rubble as Rwanda puts the pieces back together again. Hutus and Tutsis are living in the same neighborhoods, next door to people who killed their own family members. One woman forgave the young man who killed her son, and went so far as to adopt him and bring him into her home as her own son. Bishop John Rucyahana of Prison Fellowship Rwanda says, “Those who are forgiving are not forgiving for the sake of the perpetrators only. They need to free their own selves. Anger, bitterness, the desire to revenge, it’s like keeping our feelings in a container. When you forgive, you feel whole.”
This kind of cultural divide may be difficult for us to comprehend in our context, just as the Gentile-Jewish debate is foreign to us. But although the specifics of what divides us differ, the problem is the same—and so is the solution. We need the kind of unity that can only come through the Holy Spirit.
We read about the fruit this reconciliation within the early church:
- joy (Acts 15:31)
- strength (Acts 15:32)
- peace (Acts 15:33)
Challenge: Is there someone you are experiencing disunity and division with right now? Prayerfully and humbly, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, take a step toward reconciling with that person.
—Stephanie Rische
Thursday, March 5th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Thursday, March 5th
The Joy of Inclusion
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you.
—Acts 15:28
When my husband, Daniel, and I were first dating, one of the characteristics about him that stood out to me immediately was the way he included other people. It’s as if he has a constant radar up for those around him who are on the fringes, who feel left out, who don’t quite fit in. He has a knack not just for acknowledging these individuals or showing kindness to them but also for integrating them with the rest of the group. With these gifts, it’s no wonder he has devoted his life to working with individuals with special needs—and no wonder that in some groups he’s known by the nickname “The Includer.”
Over the years, as I’ve witnessed Daniel interacting with people the rest of the world might shun or ignore, the thing that strikes me most is that while Daniel treats these individuals with compassion, he doesn’t view them with pity or condescension. He includes them not because he feels sorry for them but because he feels sorry for what the rest of us would miss out on if we were deprived of these individuals’ unique contributions.
He knows that every person has a role to play in creating a healthy community, and we can only be the unified body God created us to be when members of all backgrounds, abilities, and gifts are represented.
When the early church found themselves at a crossroads in terms of the Gentile question—could non-Jews be accepted as followers of Christ just as they were?—they faced a dilemma about what the membership dues would be to enter the church. To be part of the “in” group, would people have to show a proper pedigree, have the right external markings, and have the right background, the right kind of family, the right nationality?
After some discussion among the church leaders, and after they sought wisdom from the Holy Spirit, here was the decision they came to: that the Gentile believers should not be burdened with additional requirements (Acts 15:28).
The early church came to the same conclusion Daniel has come to, both in his job with special-needs students and in life: that much joy can be found in inclusion. When we bring together people who are different from one another, we experience a deeper, richer unity than we could experience from a group of people who are exactly alike.
What types of people might not feel welcome in our church (or in the church as a whole) if they walked in on a Sunday morning? What’s one way you could include someone who’s different from you and make that person feel welcome?
—Stephanie Rische
Thursday, March 5th
The Joy of Inclusion
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you.
—Acts 15:28
When my husband, Daniel, and I were first dating, one of the characteristics about him that stood out to me immediately was the way he included other people. It’s as if he has a constant radar up for those around him who are on the fringes, who feel left out, who don’t quite fit in. He has a knack not just for acknowledging these individuals or showing kindness to them but also for integrating them with the rest of the group. With these gifts, it’s no wonder he has devoted his life to working with individuals with special needs—and no wonder that in some groups he’s known by the nickname “The Includer.”
Over the years, as I’ve witnessed Daniel interacting with people the rest of the world might shun or ignore, the thing that strikes me most is that while Daniel treats these individuals with compassion, he doesn’t view them with pity or condescension. He includes them not because he feels sorry for them but because he feels sorry for what the rest of us would miss out on if we were deprived of these individuals’ unique contributions.
He knows that every person has a role to play in creating a healthy community, and we can only be the unified body God created us to be when members of all backgrounds, abilities, and gifts are represented.
When the early church found themselves at a crossroads in terms of the Gentile question—could non-Jews be accepted as followers of Christ just as they were?—they faced a dilemma about what the membership dues would be to enter the church. To be part of the “in” group, would people have to show a proper pedigree, have the right external markings, and have the right background, the right kind of family, the right nationality?
After some discussion among the church leaders, and after they sought wisdom from the Holy Spirit, here was the decision they came to: that the Gentile believers should not be burdened with additional requirements (Acts 15:28).
The early church came to the same conclusion Daniel has come to, both in his job with special-needs students and in life: that much joy can be found in inclusion. When we bring together people who are different from one another, we experience a deeper, richer unity than we could experience from a group of people who are exactly alike.
What types of people might not feel welcome in our church (or in the church as a whole) if they walked in on a Sunday morning? What’s one way you could include someone who’s different from you and make that person feel welcome?
—Stephanie Rische
Wednesday, March 4th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Wednesday, March 4th
When God’s People Disagree
Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.
—Acts 15:7-8
When a basketball team heads down the court and the point guard calls a play, all the members of the team know their role and their assignment. They go to the spot they’ve practiced and unfold the play to get the ball to a particular player. If everything goes as planned, the offense will progress and one of the players will have an opportunity to score.
If some of the players are in disagreement about the play, however—if they don’t like the play that’s been called or if they refuse to go to the spot called for by the play—chances are the offense will fall apart and it will be difficult to score. If a team isn’t unified, it opens the door for their opponents to take over or for the team to self-destruct. They need a clear vision and the willingness to execute it together to be effective as a team.
The same is true for believers. If we want to accomplish the plans God has for us, we need to be united in our purpose and willing to play our own roles. But what happens when some people disagree with the play that has been called as we’re going down the court of life?
This is what happened to the church in the book of Acts. The Gentiles were coming to Christ in an unprecedented fashion. Some of the church leaders thought it was enough for these converts to believe and be baptized; others thought they should adhere to all the Jewish religious customs first. This issue was coming to a head, and it needed to be resolved before the church imploded or fractured into different divisions.
So how did these early Christians deal with their disagreement? Their response serves as a model for us today. The truth is that even as believers, we will encounter differences of opinion and strong diverging viewpoints. In those situations, we can follow the pattern set by Peter, James, and the rest of the believers in Acts 15:
—Stephanie Rische
Wednesday, March 4th
When God’s People Disagree
Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.
—Acts 15:7-8
When a basketball team heads down the court and the point guard calls a play, all the members of the team know their role and their assignment. They go to the spot they’ve practiced and unfold the play to get the ball to a particular player. If everything goes as planned, the offense will progress and one of the players will have an opportunity to score.
If some of the players are in disagreement about the play, however—if they don’t like the play that’s been called or if they refuse to go to the spot called for by the play—chances are the offense will fall apart and it will be difficult to score. If a team isn’t unified, it opens the door for their opponents to take over or for the team to self-destruct. They need a clear vision and the willingness to execute it together to be effective as a team.
The same is true for believers. If we want to accomplish the plans God has for us, we need to be united in our purpose and willing to play our own roles. But what happens when some people disagree with the play that has been called as we’re going down the court of life?
This is what happened to the church in the book of Acts. The Gentiles were coming to Christ in an unprecedented fashion. Some of the church leaders thought it was enough for these converts to believe and be baptized; others thought they should adhere to all the Jewish religious customs first. This issue was coming to a head, and it needed to be resolved before the church imploded or fractured into different divisions.
So how did these early Christians deal with their disagreement? Their response serves as a model for us today. The truth is that even as believers, we will encounter differences of opinion and strong diverging viewpoints. In those situations, we can follow the pattern set by Peter, James, and the rest of the believers in Acts 15:
- They sought God’s will (Acts 15:7-8).
- They engaged in healthy discussion about the issue (Acts 15:5-6).
- They watched for evidence of how God was at work (Acts 15:12).
—Stephanie Rische
Tuesday, March 3rd
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Tuesday, March 3rd
When the Rules become God
It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
—Acts 15:19
As a kid, I played a card game with a ridiculous name I can no longer remember whose entire premise was to see how many meaningless rules the participant could keep track of. With each hand that was dealt, more rules were added and more players got disqualified for breaking the ever-growing litany of dos and don’ts. The winner was the person who managed to remember and follow the rules for the longest period of time.
As ludicrous as the game was, it provides something of a commentary on our rather complicated relationship with rules when it comes to life in general. On a societal level, we need clear boundaries to keep our communities and interactions safe and respectful. And on a spiritual level, God has given us instructions about how we should honor him and live in harmony with others. But we have a tendency as humans to make rules into an idol—something that becomes more important to us than God himself.
In the early church, the major point of division and disunity was over the Jewish rules and customs. Did converts have to follow the requirements of Judaism (in particular, circumcision) to be a Christian?
In the church today, we don’t face division about circumcision, but there are certainly ways we tend to add on rules to what Christ has already accomplished to save us. In his book Jesus Plus Nothing Equals Everything, Tullian Tchividjian talks about our tendency to think that the gospel is not enough. So we add on rules—things we believe we must do to earn God’s favor. But this, he claims, is not the true gospel. “Legalism says God will love us if we change. The gospel says God will change us because He loves us.”
After Paul and Barnabas finished making their case to the church leaders about God’s work among the Gentiles, James addressed them, encouraging them not to make it difficult for the Gentiles to come to Christ.
His message to the early church was the same one we need today: Jesus’ blood is sufficient to forgive us and save us. There are no additional rules we need to create, no extra hoops we have to jump through to be made right with him. Jesus has done everything—there is nothing we need to add. Tullian offers this life-giving reminder about the gospel: “The gospel doesn’t make bad people good; it makes dead people alive.”
Question: What rules do you tend to add on to the gospel? What do you fill in the blank in this equation: Jesus + _____ = Everything? How might adding on human rules to the gospel create division in the church?
—Stephanie Rische
Tuesday, March 3rd
When the Rules become God
It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
—Acts 15:19
As a kid, I played a card game with a ridiculous name I can no longer remember whose entire premise was to see how many meaningless rules the participant could keep track of. With each hand that was dealt, more rules were added and more players got disqualified for breaking the ever-growing litany of dos and don’ts. The winner was the person who managed to remember and follow the rules for the longest period of time.
As ludicrous as the game was, it provides something of a commentary on our rather complicated relationship with rules when it comes to life in general. On a societal level, we need clear boundaries to keep our communities and interactions safe and respectful. And on a spiritual level, God has given us instructions about how we should honor him and live in harmony with others. But we have a tendency as humans to make rules into an idol—something that becomes more important to us than God himself.
In the early church, the major point of division and disunity was over the Jewish rules and customs. Did converts have to follow the requirements of Judaism (in particular, circumcision) to be a Christian?
In the church today, we don’t face division about circumcision, but there are certainly ways we tend to add on rules to what Christ has already accomplished to save us. In his book Jesus Plus Nothing Equals Everything, Tullian Tchividjian talks about our tendency to think that the gospel is not enough. So we add on rules—things we believe we must do to earn God’s favor. But this, he claims, is not the true gospel. “Legalism says God will love us if we change. The gospel says God will change us because He loves us.”
After Paul and Barnabas finished making their case to the church leaders about God’s work among the Gentiles, James addressed them, encouraging them not to make it difficult for the Gentiles to come to Christ.
His message to the early church was the same one we need today: Jesus’ blood is sufficient to forgive us and save us. There are no additional rules we need to create, no extra hoops we have to jump through to be made right with him. Jesus has done everything—there is nothing we need to add. Tullian offers this life-giving reminder about the gospel: “The gospel doesn’t make bad people good; it makes dead people alive.”
Question: What rules do you tend to add on to the gospel? What do you fill in the blank in this equation: Jesus + _____ = Everything? How might adding on human rules to the gospel create division in the church?
—Stephanie Rische
Monday, March 2nd
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Tuesday, March 2nd
Tradition vs. the Gospel
Why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been ale to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.
—Acts 15:10-11
If the music we listen to is any indication, Americans have a certain amount of disdain for rules. A quick scan of iTunes indicates that there are more than ten songs in recent years with the title “Breaking the Rules” or “Break the Rules.” We like to make our own decisions, live free and unhindered, do our own thing—and we have the sound track to prove it.
But there’s an interesting flip side to our perspective on rules: even if we don’t like them for ourselves, we tend to take delight in making sure others toe the line. Think of it this way: when we’re pulled over for a traffic violation, we have plenty of rationalizations for why we should be exempt from the consequences. But when someone cuts us off or zips around us in the turn lane, we want them to get what’s coming to them. This is true from the time we’re young. A child may glibly ignore his mother’s admonition to share with his sister, but when there’s something she won’t share with him, he happily points out her rule-breaking—even resorting to tattling, if necessary.
So why do we have such an affinity for the rules, especially when it comes to making sure other people follow them? Perhaps it’s because black-and-white rules give us a sense of control. If we can put everything in a neat little box, we can be assured of who’s in and who’s out, who’s right and who’s wrong. And we can feel satisfied and self-assured that we are okay.
The problem with this mentality is that it falls apart when it comes to spiritual matters. No amount of rule-following can ever save us; only the blood of Christ can do that. And there’s no way for us to smugly judge the state of another person’s soul by the external rules they conform to.
We don’t usually think of it in these terms, but as Christians, we can make an idol of legalism, putting the rules first in our hearts, before Christ. There’s a dark side to this kind of rule-worship in terms of community too. When we start caring more about our manmade rules than about people, it can cause deep division among God’s people.
The early church faced a similar dilemma regarding rules and what was required of followers of Christ. As the believers knew, there are some things we choose to do and not do out of a desire to obey God and become more like him. But following God’s commands should come out of an overflow of love and gratitude; it is not a prerequisite for salvation.
As the early church grew to include Gentiles, the believers were faced with a new dilemma. These converts hadn’t grown up with Jewish customs, meaning they hadn’t been circumcised. Some church leaders thought this tradition was necessary for all believers, while others strongly disagreed. This was a huge issue that threatened to create a schism in the church and hamper the work God was doing.
This is where Peter’s wisdom came in. He reminded his fellow believers that Jesus came to make our yokes easy and our burdens light. His sacrifice was enough to save them—and it is enough to save us today.
Question: What are some of the human rules and traditions that threaten to divide the church today? What do you think Peter would say if he were giving advice to us?
—Stephanie Rische
Tuesday, March 2nd
Tradition vs. the Gospel
Why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been ale to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.
—Acts 15:10-11
If the music we listen to is any indication, Americans have a certain amount of disdain for rules. A quick scan of iTunes indicates that there are more than ten songs in recent years with the title “Breaking the Rules” or “Break the Rules.” We like to make our own decisions, live free and unhindered, do our own thing—and we have the sound track to prove it.
But there’s an interesting flip side to our perspective on rules: even if we don’t like them for ourselves, we tend to take delight in making sure others toe the line. Think of it this way: when we’re pulled over for a traffic violation, we have plenty of rationalizations for why we should be exempt from the consequences. But when someone cuts us off or zips around us in the turn lane, we want them to get what’s coming to them. This is true from the time we’re young. A child may glibly ignore his mother’s admonition to share with his sister, but when there’s something she won’t share with him, he happily points out her rule-breaking—even resorting to tattling, if necessary.
So why do we have such an affinity for the rules, especially when it comes to making sure other people follow them? Perhaps it’s because black-and-white rules give us a sense of control. If we can put everything in a neat little box, we can be assured of who’s in and who’s out, who’s right and who’s wrong. And we can feel satisfied and self-assured that we are okay.
The problem with this mentality is that it falls apart when it comes to spiritual matters. No amount of rule-following can ever save us; only the blood of Christ can do that. And there’s no way for us to smugly judge the state of another person’s soul by the external rules they conform to.
We don’t usually think of it in these terms, but as Christians, we can make an idol of legalism, putting the rules first in our hearts, before Christ. There’s a dark side to this kind of rule-worship in terms of community too. When we start caring more about our manmade rules than about people, it can cause deep division among God’s people.
The early church faced a similar dilemma regarding rules and what was required of followers of Christ. As the believers knew, there are some things we choose to do and not do out of a desire to obey God and become more like him. But following God’s commands should come out of an overflow of love and gratitude; it is not a prerequisite for salvation.
As the early church grew to include Gentiles, the believers were faced with a new dilemma. These converts hadn’t grown up with Jewish customs, meaning they hadn’t been circumcised. Some church leaders thought this tradition was necessary for all believers, while others strongly disagreed. This was a huge issue that threatened to create a schism in the church and hamper the work God was doing.
This is where Peter’s wisdom came in. He reminded his fellow believers that Jesus came to make our yokes easy and our burdens light. His sacrifice was enough to save them—and it is enough to save us today.
Question: What are some of the human rules and traditions that threaten to divide the church today? What do you think Peter would say if he were giving advice to us?
—Stephanie Rische
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