The first great church meeting in Acts 15 didn’t gather to plan programs or design buildings. It gathered to settle the most important question in history: Is Jesus enough?
Some believers, coming from Jewish backgrounds, insisted that Gentiles — new non-Jewish followers of Jesus — must also keep the entire Mosaic law, including circumcision, to be saved. They thought salvation was Jesus plus something. But Paul and Barnabas had seen God move mightily among the Gentiles — hearts changed, lives healed, the Spirit poured out — and they knew grace alone was the answer.
So the church sent them to Jerusalem. Peter stood up and reminded the council that God had already spoken through His actions: He gave the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles “just as He did to us.” There was no hierarchy in grace. The same God who saved the apostles saved the outsiders. Then James, the half-brother of Jesus, summed it up beautifully: “We should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.”
That one sentence changed history. It was the declaration that salvation is by grace through faith alone, not by human effort. Jesus’ death and resurrection are enough. We are not saved by rule-keeping but by relationship — not by climbing a ladder but by receiving a gift.
The church’s decision didn’t throw out holiness; it clarified the source of it. The same grace that saves us trains us. When we trust Christ, the Holy Spirit begins rewriting our desires. The love of God doesn’t just get us into heaven — it starts to make heaven visible in us.
For seekers, this is life-changing news. You don’t have to get it all right before you belong. Come as you are. God knows your heart, and He still wants you. For believers, this is a holy challenge: don’t put up barriers where Jesus built bridges. Be the person who welcomes, teaches, and loves with patience. Lost people are messy — but so were we before grace found us.
Acts 15 still preaches today: grace wins. Grace saves, trains, and sends. When we choose grace over judgment, the church grows and the world sees Jesus.
Try This:
Pray, “Jesus, I trust You. Forgive me, change me, and fill me with Your Spirit.” Then share your story. Someone’s waiting for your “yes” to open their heart to Him.