After the elders from Judea came to Antioch, a group traveled to Jerusalem to try and come to an understanding. Peter shared about his experience with the Gentiles, and then Paul and Barnabas shared about their ministry in Asia Minor. The elders came to an agreement about the Gentile Christians based on the testimony of these men. God uses our experiences to give us wisdom, which can help us solve disagreements and bring unity to the body of believers.
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Paul preached against the idea that rituals and traditions or any other works of humans were required to receive salvation from God. Rather, anyone who trusts in Jesus can be saved. Paul preached about the meaning of grace. Have you ever felt like you had to perform certain works or rituals in order to have a close relationship with Jesus? Have you ever felt like you failed at being a Christian because you didn’t do enough good works? Paul made it clear that it is only through the grace of Jesus Christ that we are saved (Acts 15:11).
You may have heard the phrase “unwritten rules.” These are rules that are not spelled out anywhere or specifically stated but are just behaviors that people expect others to do. For instance, there might be an unwritten rule in your house that you should take off your shoes as soon as you come inside, even if no one has ever said you had to do that. Maybe your mom and dad always took off their shoes, and so now you usually take off your shoes too. Observe your family members this week and see what other unwritten rules people seem to follow. What are some unwritten rules people follow at your church? Talk with your parents about what you observe.
God, thank You for using the things that happen in our lives to grow wisdom in us. Amen.