Through the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ

The Jerusalem Conference, recorded in Acts 15, was seeking to answer this question: Do the Gentiles who receive the gospel of Jesus Christ have to be circumcised and follow the law of Moses? Peter described how he had been called to take the gospel to the Gentiles in the first place, and he asked this important question: “Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they” (v10-11). James then gave the decision of the group in more detailed terms, saying: “Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood” (v19-20). The apostles wrote letters to explain their decision on the matter, saying, “Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:… For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well” (v28-29). Thus the Gentiles would not be required to follow all of the prescriptions of the law of Moses but they would be encouraged to focus on what mattered most and what in the end would save them: “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

                I think there is a lesson in this story for us who are leaders or teachers or parents trying to help others live the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to be able to distinguish between what is essential in coming unto the Lord and receiving His grace and what is not. Some traditions or rules or expectations need to be left to the side while we focus on Jesus Christ and helping others believe in Him. This reminds me of what Elder Gong related in his most recent general conference message: “Please, let us be understanding and kind as we learn new languages of love together. New at church, a convert was told her skirts were too short. Instead of taking offense, she replied, in effect, ‘My heart is converted; please be patient as my skirts catch up.’” We have to be careful that our own expectations about what it means to keep the commandments and live the gospel does not lead us to put stumbling blocks in the way for others who have not spent their life living that way. That isn’t to say that all commandments are ignored; rather, we should focus on what is essential just as this counsel did. These Gentile converts were to seek to avoid idolatry and keep the law of chastity, two cornerstone commandments that did not end with the fulfillment of the law of Moses. The student manual also adds, “Because the law of Moses prohibited the eating of blood (see Leviticus 3:17; 17:10–14; 19:26), James’s counsel to abstain from ‘things strangled, and from blood’ may have been meant to avoid giving offense to Jews and thus hindering missionary work among them.” Learning to share the gospel with others and be an example to others was important even for new converts. The Gentiles were not simply given permission to do whatever they wanted, but they were not to be yoked with the full requirements of the law of Moses that even the Jews had not been able to fully bear. In a similar manner, we should strive to focus not on non-essential requirements but on the joy of developing faith in Jesus Christ and learning to trust in Him. Our expectations on proper grooming or correct Sabbath Day activities or appropriate clothing or suitable food and drink or acceptable media may need to be set aside or adjusted while we focus primarily on believing in Jesus Christ and making covenants with Him. Especially for those spiritually young in the gospel, we should not require of them more than they can bear.