Unless you have been ________, you cannot be _________.

Does your religion or spirituality have rules?

For example, it might say, "Until you do this action or say these words, you cannot be saved or have a salvation or other spiritual experience."

In the Bible's New Testament, some religious people who had become followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, still believed that He was NOT enough.

Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” Acts 15:1

This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. Acts 15:2

Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles [non-Jews who had become Christians] must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” Acts 15:5

This teaching meant that not only did males need to have Jewish circumcision performed on them, everyone had to keep the Law. Unless they did these things, they could NOT be saved.

Rules kept, plus Jesus, produced salvation, they believed.

Do you think that there are people today who have such beliefs?

The apostles and elders met to consider this question. After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them:

“Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles [non-Jews] 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. He did not discriminate between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith.

Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?

No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” Acts 15:6-11

A jailor asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Acts 16:29-32

If this has happened to us and Jesus lives in our hearts by faith, Ephesians 3:17 then let's walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16

If we're led by the Spirit, we're not under the Law. Galatians 5:6, 18

So, we can follow Jesus as Savior Matthew 4:19 in newness of life and spirit. Romans 6:4; Romans 7:6

Your thoughts?

R. Jason