Acts 15, look at verse 11. Acts 15, 11, we believe, we believe
that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be
saved, even as they. Now, what do we believe? Right there is what we believe.
This is what every believer believes. through the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, we shall be saved. The title will be taken from
that verse, and the title will be Salvation by Grace Alone. In 1 Peter, Peter writes in his
epistle, as he preaches here in Acts chapter 15, Peter says
this in 1 Peter 5.10, the God of all grace, have called you unto his eternal
glory by Jesus Christ our Lord. So he's the God of all comfort,
and he's the God of all salvation. He's the God of all grace. And
everyone knows this scripture. You've memorized this scripture.
For by grace are you saved, or that can be rendered by grace
you have been saved. Through faith, and that not of
yourself, it's a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should
boast. Now look at verse one, and I
want to consider verse five together. Certain men which came down from
Judea, and taught the brethren, and said, accept your circumcised
after the manner of Moses, You cannot be saved. Verse 5 in Acts
15, there rose up certain, certain of the sect of the Pharisees. And that word, their sect, can
also be rendered in the original heresy. They were heretics. The
self-righteous Pharisees, which says here, which believed, what
did they believe? They believed that salvation
was by works. saying, here's what they believed,
that it was needful to circumcise them, that is, those Gentiles
who had believed, it was needful not only to circumcise them,
and command them to keep the law of Moses. Now, while Paul
and Barnabas were enjoying sweet fellowship, around the gospel
of Christ in the church there in Antioch, telling all that
God had done through their ministry. Remember Acts 14, 27, and they
rehearsed all that God had done with them, how he opened the
door of faith unto the Gentiles. These certain men we know from
reading Galatians chapter 2 verse 4 that Paul there when he writes
of this occasion He calls these certain men false Brethren came
to the church there in Antioch from Jerusalem and said Gentile
believers were obligated to keep the law of Moses that it's not
enough to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for all of salvation
more was required. This, my friend, is nothing but
a perversion of the gospel of Christ. What were they trying
to do? They were trying to mix works
and grace. They were trying to mix law and
faith. We have many religious people
in this country, preachers standing in the pulpits this morning trying
to do the same exact thing. And one thing is absolutely clear
when reading and studying the Word of God, that salvation is
by the grace of God alone. Creature merit, human goodness,
Religious works, traditions of the law, traditions of ceremonies
have nothing whatsoever to do with salvation that is of the
Lord. This is what Paul called in writing
to the church of Galatia, who had the same issue, how does
God save sinners? What Paul called another gospel. I want you to turn over there
to the book of Galatians. And notice chapter one in the
book of Galatians, I'm gonna read something out of each of
these chapters here in Galatians, because that was an issue that
came up in that church as well. Paul said in chapter one, verse
eight, though we are an angel from heaven, preach any other
gospel unto you than that which we have preached. Let him be
accursed. What did he preach? Look at verse
four, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us
from this present evil world according to the will of God,
our Father, to whom be glory." So if you come preaching another
gospel, Paul said, verse 9, let me say it again, if any man preach
any other gospel than what you've received, let him be... be okay,
won't it? No, let him be damned. Let him
be damned. That's strong language, isn't
it? Chapter two, verse 16, knowing that a man is not justified by
the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, the
faithfulness of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus
Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, not by
the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall
no flesh be justified. Galatians chapter two, verse
21. This is probably one of my favorite verses in all the Word
of God. I do not frustrate the grace
of God, for if righteousness come by the law, Christ is dead
in vain. Chapter three, look at verse
13. Christ has redeemed us from the
curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written,
curse is everyone that hangeth on the tree. What has he done?
He delivered us from the curse of the law. What does the curse
of the law say? The guilty must die. Well, the
Lord Jesus Christ took our sin and took our death. He redeemed
us from the curse of the law. Look at Galatians chapter 4,
verse 4. But when the fullness of time
was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman, Galatians
4 for to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive
the adoption of sons and Because you are sons God has sent forth
the spirit of his son in your heart crying father father Galatians
chapter 5 Verse 1 I'm trying to make this point a that salvation
is by grace, not by law. Chapter 5, verse 1. Stand fast,
therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and
be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I, Paul,
say unto you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit
you nothing. What did they say? Except you
keep the law, except you're circumcised, you cannot be saved. What does
Paul say? If you go that route, Christ
is made to you zero, nothing, nada. Galatians chapter six,
verse 14, God forbid that we should glory saved in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me
and I unto the world. How does God save sinners? Well,
it's quite obvious from reading the word of God that God saves
sinners by his grace. not by the deeds of the law at
all. Back to our story, Acts 15 verse
2, 3, and 4, when therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small discussion
about this matter, how God saved sinners. You know, Paul and Barnabas
went toe to toe with these who said, these false brethren who
came and said, you have to keep the law. You have to be circumcised. What did Paul preach? Grace,
grace, Christ, Christ. What did they do? Compromise?
Oh no. They stood firm. determined for
the gospel. Paul and Barnabas and certain
others went up to Jerusalem to consider this matter with the
apostles and elders. Being brought on their way, verse
3, by the church, they visited churches as they traveled south
from Antioch in Syria, down through Pharnacia, down through Samaria,
declaring the conversion of Gentiles declaring that God saved sinners
by His grace, and this caused great joy unto all the brethren
who believed that salvation was by grace. Verse 4, And when they
were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church,
James, and Peter, and others, and the apostles, and John, and
the other apostles and elders, and they declared, and here they
go right back again, they declared all things that God had done
with them. How they preached the gospel,
The Lord Jesus Christ and how God by his spirit by his power
quickened Added to the church daily such as should be saved
by the grace of God, but But there rose up these Self-righteous
Pharisees who believed that salvation was by circumcision and law-keeping
Now what's going to happen? What's gonna happen? Verse six,
the apostles and the elders came together to consider this very
vital, vital issue. It's still a vital issue this
day. It's a settled issue for believers. We know, we can sing
with John Newton, amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved
a wretch like me. They came to consider this matter.
And when there had been much disputing, Peter, the elder apostle of the Lord
Jesus Christ. You remember our Lord said, upon
this rock I'll build my church and the gates of hell shall not
prevail. Here Peter's standing like a rock. Peter stood up and
said, men and brethren, I think that's interesting, isn't it?
Why didn't he just say brethren? Because there were these men,
these false brethren among them. tears among the weak. You know
how that a good while ago God made a choice among us that the
Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
God made a choice. Verse 8, God knows the heart,
bear them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit as he did even
unto us. God put no difference between
us and them, purifying their hearts, not by law, but by faith
in Christ. Now, why do you tempt God? Why
do you insult God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciple,
which neither our fathers nor we are able to bear, but we believe? Here's what we believe. Through
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved. Peter declared, that God saves
the Jews the exact same way he saved the Gentiles through the
grace of God alone through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it's still true today. God
wisely saves every sinner he saved by his purpose and by his
grace, given us in the Lord Jesus Christ before the foundation
of the world. Now you all know this scripture,
because I quote it almost every time I preach. 2 Timothy 1.9
says, God saved us, called us with a holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus, before the foundation of the
world. It all worked to the praise of the glory of His grace alone. Here we could call and rightly
call this the Apostles' Creed or the Apostles' Gospel Doctrine. The doctrine that's the gospel
of God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. I have one, two, three,
four things. Verse 7, Peter declares that
God saves sinners whom he has chosen by his grace. God made a choice, verse 7. Salvation is by choice, his. not ours we love darkness not
light if god had not chosen us in that eternal covenant of grace
we never would have believed the gospel of the lord jesus
christ you remember back in chapter 13 verse 48 when the gentiles
heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the lord
as many as were ordained to eternal life They believed. Only those who ordained to eternal
life believed the gospel. God made a choice. When was that
choice made? Back in eternity. We are bound
to give thanks to God for you, brethren, because God has chosen
you unto salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth were unto he calls you by our gospel. So God made a
choice, and it happened a good while ago. Thank God he chose
us before we were born. He certainly would have not chosen
us after we were born. Salvation and eternal election
is all of God's grace. He chose us in him before the
foundation of the world. Therefore, we can say it's not
of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that
showeth mercy. Of his own will begat he us with
the word of truth. You can turn with me if you want
to find what Peter says in his epistle about this thing of being
chosen and called. In 1 Peter chapter two, 1 Peter
chapter two, verse nine, But you are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar purchased
people that you should show forth the praises of him who called
you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Who did the
choosing? God has chosen us from the beginning
unto salvation, a chosen generation. Now look back at Acts 15, the
second point found in verse two. God knoweth the hearts. All things are naked and open
unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. We studied that
in our Wednesday study from Psalm 139. God knows the hearts. That is, he knows that we are
depraved sinners. He knows that we are dead in
sin. The foundation of God, stand assured, having a seal of the
Lord, knows them that are his, but he knows our sinful condition.
He knows exactly what we need, and he bears them witness. To
the truth, how does he bear witness to the truth? Giving them the
Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us. Our Lord said, when the spirit
of truth has come, he'll take the things of Christ and reveal
them unto us. That's how we know anything about
the gospel. It comes by revelation. When
Peter confessed to the Lord, we believe that you're the Christ,
he said, blessed are you. Because you didn't figure this
out. Flesh and blood didn't figure this out, but my Father hath
revealed this unto you. You see, it's the Holy Spirit
that quickens us from the dead. You have to be quickened until
we're dead. It's the Holy Spirit. We hear the word, but not in
word only, in the power of God the Holy Spirit. It takes God
to reveal God. Here's the reason why Gentiles
were blessed and able to hear the gospel. They were made alive
and quickened by the Holy Spirit. The same is true today. Except
a man is born of God, born of the Spirit of God, he cannot
see, he cannot understand, he cannot believe the gospel. Here's
the third point, verse nine. God put no difference between
us and them. Now, among men, we put a great
difference among men, don't we? Great difference among men, Jew
or Gentile, black or white, young or old, we put a great difference
among men. You can find Roman chapter three,
can't you? That's just over here a few pages.
The important thing is, God has put no difference between men. Here's what it says, Romans 3
verse 9. What then, are we better than
they? knowing no wise. For we have before proved both
Jews and Gentiles, they're all under sin. As it is written,
there's none righteous, no, not one. There's none that understands. There's none that seek after
God. They're gone, all out of the way. They're all unprofitable. There is none that do with good,
no, not one. Write down that page, down to
verse 23. For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. God knows our heart. He knows
that we're dead in sin. God knows that we need life in
Christ. And thank God he put no difference. No difference between Jew or
Gentile or any other person. We were studied in Acts chapter
10. Remember God is no respecter of person. Salvation doesn't come by class
or by race. It comes by grace. God put no
difference between Jew and Gentile. Purifying every sinner's heart
by faith. Purifying their heart, not by
the law, not by work, not by obedience, not by baptism, not
by repentance, not by your faith, by grace. Purifying their hearts
by faith. And I mean by that, Faith, that's
the gift of God, looks to the Lord Jesus Christ. We're not
purified simply by our faith alone, because saving faith,
that's the gift of God, always is looking out of self. We don't
say, well, my faith got me through. We don't say that. God has gotten
us through this trial. Saving faith always looks to
God. purifying their hearts in the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's the point I'm trying to
make. All sinners are loved, all God's elect are loved with
the same love, chosen by the same grace, redeemed by the same
blood, called and quickened by the same spirit, robed in the
same righteousness of Christ, built upon the same foundation,
What is that foundation? Turn back to 1 Peter again. Here's
Peter in his epistle. He lays it out for us here. 1
Peter chapter 2. What is that foundation, that
same foundation for Jew or Gentile? 1 Peter chapter 2. If so, you've tasted, the Lord
is gracious, verse 3, verse Peter 2, verse 4, to whom coming, as
unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of
God and precious. You also, as living stones, are
built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore, also
what's contained in the scripture, behold, I lay in Zion a chief
cornerstone, elect and precious. He that believeth on him shall
not be confounded unto you, therefore, which believe he is precious. God's elect are all loved with
the same love, chosen by the same grace, redeemed by the same
blood atonement, called by the same Spirit of God, and they
all rest upon the same foundation, Christ. Behold, I lay in Zion
for a foundation, a stone, that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, How are sinners made clean? When he says your hearts are
purified by faith, saving faith looks to the blood atonement
of Christ. It's the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ that cleanses us from all our sin. Faith, we know,
doesn't accomplish salvation, does it? Faith doesn't accomplish
salvation, nor does repentance. Faith and repentance both acknowledge
the salvation of the Lord. Always looking to the Lord Jesus
Christ. You remember in Acts chapter 13, turn back over there,
verse 38. Be it known unto you therefore,
men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sin. By him all that believe are justified
from all things which you could not be justified by the law of
Moses. Grace and grace alone, the just
shall live by Christ. Saving faith is always looking
to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now verse 10, why therefore tempt
you God? Why would you insult God to put
a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor
we are able to bear? Why would any sinner that claims
that he is saved look back to the law for any part of salvation? because they have not been taught
of God. Those who are taught of God always
look to Christ alone for all of salvation. Now, when Paul
writes to this same crowd, turn to Romans 10, Romans 10 verse
1, when Paul writes to these Jews who are going about to establish
their own righteousness, Romans 10 verse 1, brethren, my heart's
desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be
saved. Oh, they're religious, but they're
lost. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God,
but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
What is the righteousness of God? Now we all know what that
is, don't we? The Lord Jesus Christ. Now look at verse four.
Christ, excuse me, Christ is the end of the law, for righteousness
is everyone who is given faith to believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith
Christ has set us free. Now verse 11, we believe, but
we believe. that through the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. Peter puts a crowning jewel on
this sermon. Salvation is by the grace of
God. We read in Romans 11, if by grace,
if by grace, then it's no more works. That is, you can't have
it both ways. You're either going all the way
works, law, which is bondage, curse, and death. It's administration
of death, it's called. Or you're going away of grace.
Grace, grace, grace alone. Peter puts a crown in Jew. Now,
there's three aspects of divine sovereign grace. First of all,
grace is eternal. because God is eternal. God planned
and purposed grace before it was ever imparted. Before you
experience the grace of God in your heart, and you do experience
that in salvation, God planned and purposed to show grace way
back in eternity. The Lamb was slain for you BEFORE
THE FOUNDATION OR FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. HE IS THE GREAT
SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE EVERLASTING
COVENANT. SO GRACE IS ALWAYS ETERNAL. SECOND
THING WE KNOW ABOUT DIVINE GRACE, IT'S FREE. NO MAN EVER DID MERITED
EARN OR PURCHASE GRACE. JUST LIKE MERCY. MERCY CANNOT
BE MERITED OR IT CEASES TO BE MERCY. GRACE CANNOT BE BOUGHT
because grace is free. You remember Romans 3? It says
we're justified freely by his grace. And then thirdly, grace
is sovereign. God gives grace to whom he pleases. He said, I will be gracious to
whom I'll be gracious. I'll show mercy to whom I will
show mercy. So then it's not of him that
willeth, or him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
Grace is the free favor of God, sovereignly given to undeserving,
ill-deserving, hell-deserving sinners. And grace is given. Grace is given to the unlovely. The Lord Jesus Christ died for
the ungodly when we were yet without strength by his grace. We remember 2 Corinthians 8 and
9, for we believe through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
we shall be saved. You know the grace of God, how
that he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, that you
through his poverty might be made rich. He says you know the
grace of God. He came and gave his life for
us, laid down his life because of God's everlasting covenant
of grace. Now, in closing, I want to give
you this. Remember, I've told you before what faith stands
for, F-A-I-T-H. What does faith stand for? Forsaking
all, I trust God. Him, the Lord Jesus Christ. So I want to do the same thing
with those words, G-R-A-C-E. In those words, we have the gospel. What does G stand for? Salvation
is the gift of God. The wages of sin is death, right?
The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
What does R stand for? Salvation through the redeeming
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, Peter writes about that
in his epistle, doesn't he? First Peter 118, he says, for
as much as you know, you were not redeemed with corruptible
things such as silver and gold, tradition of the Father, but
with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We're redeemed
by his blood, in whom we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sin according to the riches of his grace. That's Ephesians 1, 7. What would
the letter A stand for? Atonement. He made atonement
for us here in his love, not that we love God. He loved us
and he laid down his life for us. And then I think of this
letter, A, salvation is being accepted in the beloved, the
Lord Jesus Christ. C, what would C stand for? Well, I can think of quite a
few. How about the Lord Jesus Christ? He's the Christ of God, anointed
of God, and all of his office, prophet, priest, and king. But
here's another word that I think describes the salvation of the
Lord. We're complete in Him. In Him was all the fullness of
the Godhead bodily, and we are complete in the Lord Jesus Christ. And then I think of that scripture
in Colossians 3, 11, where it says, Christ is all, Christ is
all, and in all, grace, G-R-A-C-E, what would E stand for? How about his electing love?
How about, and I like this word, the effectual grace of God? Salvation by the grace of God
is effectual. All that the Father giveth me,
our Lord said, they'll come to me, and those that come to me,
he said, I'll never cast them out. I came down from heaven
not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And
this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which
seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting
life." They got it. He said, "...heareth my word,
and believeth on him that sent me, half eternal life shall not
come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life in
Christ." In closing, Peter says this, And notice this, we believe
through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved.
Salvation in Christ is a certainty. The Lord Jesus Christ didn't
come on a mission of mercy, doing the Father's will, hoping that
somebody, somehow, someway might believe on him. No, they shall
be saved. He shall call them by his grace
and save them by his grace. But he's going to save us, Peter
said, the same way as he saved them. We shall be saved even
as they, those Gentiles. You see, salvation works the
same way for every sinner he saved. It doesn't matter your
background. It doesn't matter your heritage.
I grew up in a very religious home. I cut my teeth on what
I call salvation by works. I was taught that from being
an infant, doing all the church ceremonies and tradition and
works and rules and all these different things. I did it all.
But salvation was the same to this religious sinner, and he
saved this religious sinner the same way he saved that drunk
and drug addict in the gutter. They're both sinners. If God
saved them, they're saved by the grace of God. The Lord Jesus
Christ came to save his people from their sin. we look to the
God of all grace to do a work of grace in our heart. And we can say with the Apostle
Paul, I am what I am. I am what I am by the grace of
God. And when you read Ephesians chapter
one, when it talks about being blessed in Christ according as
the Father had chosen us in Him before the foundation of the
world, having chosen us in love, having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children. You remember what he says next?
We were accepted in the beloved? Oh, all to the praise of His
glory. You see, this thing gets all
back to his glory. But of him are you in Christ,
who of God has made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption, that according as it is written, he that with
glory, let him glory only in the Lord. God's jealous of his
glory. Salvation by works gives the
glory to the creature, doesn't it? Look what I've done. Salvation
by the grace of God alone gives God all the honor and glory. All to the praise the Father
chose us, all to the praise of the glory of His grace. It says
this three times in Ephesians 1. The Son has redeemed us according
to the praise of His glory. The Holy Spirit had called us
and quickened us and sealed us. All to the praise of the glory
of His grace. The law was given by Moses But
grace and truth came by the Lord Jesus Christ. And of his fullness
have we all received grace for grace. And there, my friend,
is the reason for grace. Grace. Grace for grace. Grace does reign by righteousness
unto eternal life by the Lord Jesus Christ. Can't you say thanks
be unto God for the salvation of the Lord? Peter didn't budge
one inch from when he stood before that Pharisee council in Acts
chapter 4 when he said, neither is there salvation in any other.
There's no one in the name of heaven given among men whereby
we must be saved. by the grace of God. Well, you
know what happened? Verse 12 in our text, then God
stops some mouths. Before there was much talking
and chatter and debating, now God shut their mouth. And the
multitude kept silence and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul,
declaring what miracle and wonder God had wrought. You see, salvation is what God
had wrought in us among the Gentiles. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing
by the word of the Lord. May we be swift to hear and slow
to speak. Miracles and wonders God had
wrought in them.