Who Can Be Saved?

Who can be Saved?

Acts 15

There was a rich young ruler who came to the Lord Jesus and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 18:19–26

[19] And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. [20] You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” [21] And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” [22] When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” [23] But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. [24] Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! [25] For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” [26] Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 

Friends, that is a great question, “Then who can be saved?” Another way to ask the same question would be, “Then who can be made right with God?” “Who can be justified?” Who can be saved?

This question was the question that will occupy our time today. It was really the key question throughout the book of Acts. The last several chapters were building to this cataclysmic moment in the early church. Who can be saved? Or more accurately for the Jewish people, “Can they be saved?” “Can the Gentiles be saved?” Have you ever asked that question, “Then who can be saved? Can ‘they’ be saved? Or even, “Can I be saved?”

Acts 15 is one of the most important chapters in the book Acts. Some may even say it is the most important chapter in their entire book. It serves a hinge opening the door for the Gentile mission while closing it on the mission to ethnic Israel. The Apostle Peter, the Apostle to the Jews, makes his last appearance in Acts before fading off the scene bringing the Apostle Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, to center stage. 

As is the case so often with church history, salvation is clarified when it is threatened. A threat to the gospel, so often clarifies the gospel. And what is being threatened in Acts 15 is not merely salvation, but justification by faith. Is someone made right by the works of the law or by faith? This is what is being threatened and this is what was defended and what always must be defended.

The Gospel of Justification is Threatened (Acts 15:1-5)

Paul and Barnabas have just returned from their first missionary journey where they rejoiced and celebrated all that God had done with them and how God “had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.” Paul and Barnabas were spending time with the disciples in Antioch, when another message came to the church. Acts 15:1,

[1] But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 

The men were teaching that salvation is not by faith, but by following the works of the law. They were teaching you need faith plus works (circumcision in this case) to be saved. This is a threat to the gospel, but also to the Apostle Paul. Paul wrote to the Galatians,Galatians 2:15–16; 19–21,

[15] We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; [16] yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified….[19] For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. [20] I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [21] I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. 

Justification is by faith in Jesus Christ not the works of the law. 

Justification by faith is what Paul has been teaching as he has traveled throughout Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. He preached faith in Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and God gave them faith. And God confirmed the message of salvation with signs and wonders by the Holy Spirit. These men came preaching a different gospel. Paul and Barnabas went toe to toe with these false teachers, notice verse 2, “And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them.” There was a huge argument and debate. Who can be saved? Can the Gentiles be saved? The men who came from Judea were saying, “Yes, but only if they follow the Jewish law.” And Paul was saying, “Yes by faith.” 

I do not think we can underestimate how important this conversation was in the early church and is today. The reformers of the 16th century century were willing to die for the doctrine of justification by faith. Many of you were raised in Catholic churches who still teach that people are justified by faith PLUS works. The Catholic church teaches, “Unless you follow the sacraments, you cannot be saved.” In 2020, 50% of Christians would claim Catholicism or 16% of the world’s population. So, 16% of the world’s population, 1.2 billion people, according to their church’s doctrine, would believe you are justified by keeping the works of the law and not by faith. 

Is there a more important question in all of life than, “how can one be saved?” This question was so important that Paul and Barnabas and a few others were commissioned to go to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and the elders to talk through it. Acts 15:2–5,

[2] And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. [3] So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. [4] When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. [5] But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.” 

They met with the brothers in Phoenicia and Samaria and they praised God for the conversion of the Gentiles. They came to Jerusalem and were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders and they declared how God saved the Gentiles by faith. And yet, there were some in the church in Jerusalem who said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

Beloved, there will always be those in the church who like the Pharisees who will demand obedience to a certain standard for salvation. Salvation is by grace through faith, not through the result of works. It is a gift from God so no one may boast. And yet there is something in the human heart that resists salvation by grace. We want to take some credit for our salvation. We want to boast about what we have done. We want some credit for our obedience to Christ. It is so easy to fall back into a legalist mindset that says, “I have to do good to earn God’s favor. God’s happiness with me depends on me.” This creates a weight that none of us can bear. 

And this was at stake at the council of Jerusalem. Are you saved because of God’s grace or are you saved by your own efforts? What if I were to ask, “Do you feel God loves you more because of what you do?” If you answer, “yes,” you may struggle to fully understand the glories of justification. 

There was a man from England who came to America for a vacation. He loaded his Rolls-Royce on a boat and brought it with him so he could drive through the American countryside. While in the States, something happened to the motor so he called the people from Rolls-Royce and they flew over a mechanic who fixed the car and then flew back to England. After he returned home, he was wondering what this breakdown was going to cost him. He wrote a letter asking how much he owed and received a short, but beautiful reply, “Dear Sir: There is no record anywhere in our files that anything ever went wrong with a Rolls-Royce.” If you belong to Jesus Christ, there is no record anywhere in God’s files that anything ever went wrong with you. Your record is perfect. There is no charge against; the bill has been paid.

 Sadly, I think many Christians actually hear something like, “Dear sir: there is a large outstanding debt in your file. You can pay the minimum amount over the course of your life to pay off the debt.” Too many of us try to earn God’s favor by what we do, but that’s not the gospel. The gospel of justification says you are saved by grace through faith, it is not a result of your own doing, so you only can boast in Christ. You are loved not by what you can do for God, but simply because God loves you. He chose you before the foundation of the world to be adopted as his children. It is not natural for us to think this way which is why there will always be debates in the church about, “who can be saved?”

Friends, if you have not trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior, I would encourage you to consider the debate the apostles are going to have at the Jerusalem council. They will help you answer the question, “Who can be saved?”

The Gospel of Justification is Confirmed (Acts 15:6-21)

The Lord has been preparing the disciples for this debate since Acts 10 when Peter saw the Spirit of God fall on the Gentiles just as He had fallen on the Jews. Notice as Peter stands and speaks how he identifies God as the main agent for the Gentiles conversion and for the Jews. The question being raised is not only how the Gentiles are saved but how the Jews are saved. Acts 15:6–11,

[6] The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. [7] And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. [8] And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, [9] and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. [10] Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? [11] But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” 

We believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will. There is no distinction. Everyone is saved the same way. Who can be saved? Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Anyone who believes Jesus died on the cross for sins and was raised from the dead to make us right with God. If you believe, you can be saved. 

One of the reasons I believe so many people are discouraged in their Christian life is Peter’s question in verse 10, “Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?” I think the problem for many of us is not placing a yoke on someone else’s neck but placing it on our own. Beloved, there is freedom in Christ. He has set us free from trying to earn our way to heaven. You can’t bear that weight. You can’t be “good enough” for God. This is the essence of the gospel. We have sinned and failed God which is why he sent Jesus Christ for us. Jesus is the only one who could bear the weight for us. He bore the weight on the cross and threw the weight off in his resurrection from the dead. Beloved, are you putting God to the test? Are you placing a yoke on your neck? On your children’s neck? On other church member’s neck? 

So many live with the low grade guilt that they are not doing enough. When those feelings come, throw off the yoke by throwing it on to Christ, “casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you.” 

After hearing Peter’s words when he recounted how God saved the Gentiles through faith, the assembly fell silent. Acts 15:12, “And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.” Paul and Barnabas share how God saved the Gentiles by faith. Notice how this is all grounded in historical fact. Peter witnessed along with other disciples God saving Cornelius. Paul and Barnabas were there together when the lame man was healed at Lystra. God has confirmed the reality of justification by faith through the apostles in history. Our faith is not a blind faith, but one which considers the facts and how God has revealed Himself throughout history. And James, the half brother of the Lord Jesus, even confirms this point by sharing the words from the prophet Amos showing this has always been God’s plan. Even notice the language in verse 14, “to take from them a people for his name,” which is very similar to the language of how Israel speaks of themselves. Acts 15:13–21

[13] After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. [14] Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. [15] And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,

[16] “‘After this I will return,

and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;

I will rebuild its ruins,

and I will restore it,

[17] that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord,

and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,

says the Lord, who makes these things [18] known from of old.’

[19] Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, [20] but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. [21] For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.” 

God has promised that He will rebuild the ruins of his people and all who call on His name, Jew or Gentile, will be his people. James confirms God’s plan was always to save the Gentiles by faith. 

I want to underscore how the apostles and elders are merely confirming what they have heard and seen God do in the world and what God has promised would happen in his Word. God’s plan has not changed. He continues to work to save people, all people, through faith in the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The Gospel of Justification is Protected (Acts 15:22-35)

The church came together at the Council to confirm the faith but also to protect the faith from future disagreement and discord. Notice how much agreement the church had on the gospel of justification by faith. Acts 15:22, “Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.” The Spirit of God did not work only in the apostles and the elders but with the whole church as they agreed together to send men with the letter. The apostles and elders led along with the whole church to confirm and protect the gospel. Acts 15:22–35,

[22] Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, [23] with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. [24] Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, [25] it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, [26] men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. [27] We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. [28] For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: [29] that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

[30] So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. [31] And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. [32] And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. [33] And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. [35] But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. 

It was clear in calling the Gentiles brothers in the opening of the letter in verse 23 that they believed whole-heartily they were saved. The letter also highlighted the driving force of the decisions was not only the brothers in Jerusalem but the Holy Spirit who led them along the process. The Lord often works through the congregational unity of the church by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

The letter did add four specific requirements of things to avoid. The Gentiles are to: abstain from food sacrificed idols, from blood, from strangled things and from sexual immorality. The food sacrificed to idols would help identify Gentiles as followers of Yahweh. The sexual immorality was most likely referring to avoiding the cult prostition which was common in the cults of the day. Avoiding blood and things strangled would have been focused on food and dietary laws in order to protect table fellowship among the church. One commentator notes, 

In all likelihood, this is a request to be faithful to the one true God, to be moral in worship, and to have sensitivity to issues of unclean animals and eating strangled animals without draining the blood, (as Lev. 17:13–14 and 18:6–30 suggest). The limitations are probably to keep relations from becoming strained in a mixed community of Jews and Gentiles as well as to warn about association with idolatry. It is quite likely that the prohibition relates especially to attending pagan temples and what goes with them…As such, the list is not so much about the law as having a spirit of sensitivity about that which may cause offense.

The aim of the requirements were not to lay additional burden on Gentiles but to protect them from idolatry and to protect harmony within mixed churches of Jews and Gentiles. It was an appeal to work hard for the bond of peace in the church as well as to fully turn from idolatry in their former pagan religions. 

One of the other functions of the Jerusalem Council and Acts 15 is to validate the Apostle Paul’s message to the Gentiles. All the apostles and the elders along with the whole church agreed on the gospel of justification of faith and the section ends with Paul and Barnabas in Antioch, as the chapter began, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord. The church went through the council of Jerusalem to unify the church on the essential doctrine of justification by faith. It was not to make every church look the same as many of the Jews in Jerusalem continued to follow their Jewish practices while Gentile believers did not have to follow the Jewish practices.

Beloved, this is a helpful reminder for our congregation that must be united around the essentials of our faith. We will not always agree on secondary and tertiary matters. We may disagree on the amount of screen time for our children or what books one should be allowed to read or how one should dress at church or how one should disciple or one’s approach to social justice, etc. We may disagree on a lot of things but we are united in the most important things. We are one body, born again by the one Spirit, called to one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all through all and in all. As members of the church we all believe in the same gospel of justification by grace through faith. 

The rich young ruler went away sad because of his great wealth. The crowd said, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus replied saying, “With man things are impossible but with God all things are possible.” Salvation is only with God. During one of D.L. Moody’s great campaigns, a man who had been to a number of the services and who, although convicted of his need for Christ, had kept on postponing a decision approached D L Moody. Now the last night had come. The appeal was over, the people were going home, the work crew was busy folding up the chairs and dismantling the platform, and Mr. Moody was preparing to leave. The man finally plucked up his courage. He came to the evangelist and blurted out, "Mr. Moody, what must I do to be saved?" Moody looked at him. "I’m sorry sir," he said, "but you’re too late." "Too late, Mr. Moody?" The man was desperate now. "Surely I’m not too late!" "Yes, sir," said Moody. "You’re too late. As a matter of fact, you’re two thousand years too late if you want to DO something to be saved. All the DOING has been DONE. But if you would like to accept Christ by faith as your personal Savior, you’re just in time. You can do that right here, right now."

Beloved, all the doing has been done. We are not justified by the works of the law, but we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as all will be. 

What is our hope in life and death?

Christ alone, Christ alone

What is our only confidence?

That our souls to him belong

Who holds our days within his hand?

What comes, apart from his command?

And what will keep us to the end?

The love of Christ, in which we stand

O sing hallelujah!

Our hope springs eternal

O sing hallelujah!

Now and ever we confess

Christ our hope in life and death