Do You Need To Keep The Law To Be Saved?

Do you need to keep the law to get saved? This is a question which got debated from the very beginning of the church.

In fact, I’m going to base this video around the one chapter in the Bible that answers this question.

Acts chapter fifteen is where the church discussed this very question.

I’m going to walk you through this passage and see the clear response God gives us.

There are other passages that discuss this, but this is a premiere passage on the topic. I’ll discuss more passages in the future if you like, but this is going to cover Acts fifteen.

To give context first, the disciples have gone around preaching the Gospel.

Paul and Barnabas meet a specific set of Jews who challenge them.
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They say, unless circumcised, or keeping Moses’ law, you’re not saved.

These got known as the Judaizers. As I say Judaizers as I continue, that’s who I’m referring to.

This is big. At this point in the church, the majority of Christians are all Jews. Think about it.

You’re a devout Jew who keeps the law and you get saved.

Do you stop keeping the law? No. At least it’s not likely, why would you? It’s the way you’ve lived your whole life. And it doesn’t stop you from getting saved.

That is until, of course it does.

A Christian can keep the law, but the moment this switches from doing it out of choice, to you must, we have a problem.

So as we begin reading, this is the question and context you should have in your mind.

Acts chapter fifteen verse one sets the scene,

“And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, [and said],

Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.”

These Judaizers are seeing people believe in Christ, but they’re not following the law like the Jews.

Think about what that would look like as more people who are not Israelites come to faith.

This is going to get bigger and bigger and bigger, until it reaches the tipping point. And this is exactly what happens…

Acts chapter fifteen verse two says,

“When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them,

they determined that Paul and Barnabas,

and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.”

At this point, the arguments Paul and Barnabas are having on their mission trip are big.

It got so big, they said Paul and Barnabas should go back to Jerusalem and speak with the other apostles and elders.

Imagine a business where some sales reps get called to headquarters about what’s going on.

Jerusalem was the HQ at this point. When you think about it, the Judaizers have home court advantage so to speak.

It’s all set up for Paul and Barnabas to get correction, and sent back out with the same message as the Judaizers.

This isn’t what happens though. The opposite happens.

Verse three and four discuss the journey back to Jerusalem. It says,

“And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria,

declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

[4] And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and [of] the apostles and elders,

and they declared all things that God had done with them.”

This fight didn’t stop them preaching and confirming the Gospel. As they travelled back to Jerusalem, they’re still preaching.

After some time, they get back to Jerusalem and they’re welcomed with open arms.

It’s important you see this. The Judaizers were sending them back as if they were rouge agents. But that was not how they’re treated.

In verse five the problem gets raised again…

“But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying,

That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command [them] to keep the law of Moses.”

Pharisees were one of the key Jewish groups in Israel at the time. Jesus spent much time talking with them. Some did believe in Him and get saved.

But some of them, not all, that’s important, laid down the gauntlet.

Not based on tradition. And not based on free choice. Some of the believing Pharisees said you must get circumcised.

You must keep the law of Moses.

They wanted this command followed by all who believed.

Verse six says,

“And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.”

Again, this is the very question at hand. The leadership come together and discuss what is the right answer.

Verses seven to twenty-one cover the discussions. It starts with everyone going back and forth. Then Peter speaks.

After Peter, Paul and Barnabas. Then James ends the meeting.

The Christian position aligns with Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and James.

Listen to verse seven…

“And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men [and] brethren,

ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us,

that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.”

Hear the Gospel and believe. Hear the Gospel and believe. Peter doesn’t say you hear, get circumcised and believe.

He also didn’t say, you must keep the law of Moses and believe like the Judaizers.

Peter said, salvation comes by hearing the Gospel and believing it.

He continues in eight and says,

“And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as [he did] unto us;”

It’s clear it’s hear and believe, because God gave them the Holy Ghost when they heard me preaching, and believed it.

God knows what is in every man’s heart. He knows if they believe in Him or not. This is Peter’s point.

They did not get circumcised, they did not keep the law, but God gave them the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the sign that you’re saved.

Romans eight verse fourteen to fifteen says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father”

In verse nine Peter keeps going though, he doesn’t stop there…

“And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.”

There was no difference between them and us. Imagine, There was no difference between Jews keeping the law and gentiles who did not.

And Peter makes it clear this is not only because they were born again not long ago.

Peter did not say their hearts got purified, cleaned up by circumcision! He didn’t say their hearts got purified by keeping the law.

But he said it’s by “Faith”.

Peter keeps going and proving you do not need to keep the law to get saved in verse ten.

“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?”

Notice Peter calls these people not following the law disciples.

Peter is speaking against the arguments of the Judaizers. Anyone who believes circumcision, keeping the law, saves you.

This is a Jew saying this. It’s not gentiles infiltrating and making this argument.

Don’t tempt God. Peter’s argument here is,

saying you must get circumcised and keep the law is a yoke we couldn’t handle, or our fathers before us.

Then look at the next verse,

“But we believe,

We believe.

that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.”

We believe he says, in the grace of Christ to save us, and them.

Not believe in circumcision, or keeping the commandments of Moses.

There is no difference in salvation, between us and them.

Then after such a powerful statement by Peter, you need to take a breath. Think about what the Judaizers would be thinking at this point.

They’re the reason this conference is happening. They’re in their home court, Jerusalem, and Peter, the leader, says this.

“Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul,

declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.”

It’s not only Peter who has preached to gentiles and seen miracles. But Paul and Barnabas back him up.

They start sharing their experiences from their mission trips.

Then James has his turn. He argued for the Christian position too. He argues against the Judaizers. Starting with verse fourteen to fifteen James says,

“Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.

And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,”

Simon Peter is saying, God has called people from the gentiles to believe in him. The Old Testament agrees with this.

James’ point is, this isn’t a new invention. The Bible has been saying this from the beginning. He said
“as it is written”.

It’s important you understand this. Some people make the mistake of thinking they did something new.

James quotes Amos, one of the prophets from the Old Testament and explains it.

“After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down;

and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

[17] That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called,

saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

[18] Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.”

David’s Kingdom will get restored, that’s through Christ as the king of Israel. This is why Jesus went around preaching the Kingdom of God is here.

And that’s why the residue of men, and all the gentiles called by God’s name, will come to Him.

James said in eighteen, God knew this would happen from the beginning. This wasn’t a surprise, or shock plan that God made up in the heat of the moment.

When you think about the question James is replying to, it makes things clear.

Some say you must get circumcised and keep the law of Moses to get saved.

But what does James say?

Does he say they’re right? No, he says the complete opposite….

James agrees with Peter in verse nineteen…

“Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:”

Don’t trouble them James says. But what is he talking about? Don’t trouble them with circumcision, or keeping the law of Moses to get saved. This is not necessary.

I will keep emphasizing, Peter and James are Christians. Not keeping the law for salvation isn’t the fringe view. It’s the view of the church, according to the Bible.

Christians get attacked for believing this. We’re not saying this means we live how we want.

That’s not what the Bible says.

Salvation from God brings transformation from God. So when you believe, you receive the Spirit. And the Spirit of God empowers us to walk in the Spirit.

James says, don’t trouble them, let’s write to them.

Listen to twenty to twenty-one,

“But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and [from] fornication, and [from] things strangled, and [from] blood.

For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.”

Abstain from idolatry, fornication animals killed a certain way and blood. He doesn’t even mention circumcision, or keeping the law.

And he says, the Old testament is still read in synagogues.

Because James said don’t trouble them, it doesn’t mean he was saying forget about Moses, or stop reading about him.

If you don’t need to keep the law to get saved, it’s easy to think that means the Old Testament is pointless.

That is not the point anyone is making. In fact, the New Testament writers make it clear, the Old Testament is beneficial for us in many ways.

Some verses are,

Romans fifteen four, second Timothy three sixteen, first Corinthians ten verse eleven.

Acts seventeen eleven is a famous one. There’s passage after passage, Hebrews eleven.

I know it’s daunting for some, but Christians should be reading the whole Bible. A good Daily Bible reading plan will transform your life.

If you would like my one I’ll leave a link in the description box.

Alright, you can tell I love all of God’s Word. I wish more people would too.

Verses twenty-two to twenty-nine deal with the next steps. What they did and what the letter they sent says.

“Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas;

[namely], Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:”

They send these men to confirm what’s happened. And they send the letter too.

This is good because it’s an example of how serious the apostles took sending the Word of God to churches.

Verse twenty-three is the beginning of the letter.

“And they wrote [letters] by them after this manner;

The apostles and elders and brethren [send] greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:”

Then the next verse says,

“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:”

The letter says, we never sent anyone saying keeping the law, or circumcision saves..

The letter the apostles sent to the Gentiles says,

We have heard, some of us are troubling you and subverting your souls.

When you preach you have to keep the law of Moses or get circumcised, you’re subverting souls.

There are messianic communities that follow the law today. I remember when I was younger, my mum would take us to some of their gatherings.

There’s nothing wrong happening there. They keep the law, but don’t say you’re not saved if you don’t.

The letter says, we gave no such commandment.

The letter continues in verses twenty-five to twenty-seven,

“It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

[26] Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[27] We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell [you] the same things by mouth.”

We’ve come together, talked about it, and sent men back to you to confirm the letter by mouth.

This was the custom. You write a letter, and then you come in person and confirm the message.

The letter ends in twenty-eight to twenty-nine,

“For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

[29] 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. Fare ye well.”

I said before, James said this is in the Old Testament. Here again it’s clear this is God’s doing, not man.

There was no new invention. The Holy Spirit said this is good, and like obedient children of God, they agreed with the Holy Spirit’s ruling.

Avoid idolatry, blood, fornication and things strangled. Avoiding these things will do you well.

You’re saved guys, now don’t live lawless.

It’s easy we don’t push too hard in either direction. This passage helps us see what true Christianity is.

You’re saved by faith in Christ. But you should not live in a lawless way. This is the very point James makes in James chapter two.

God knows you’re saved because He sees your heart. But show me you’re saved by the works you’re doing. I cannot see your heart.

Verse thirty to thirty-two says,

“So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:

[31] [Which] when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation. [32] And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed [them].”

When God’s Word enters, it brings light and joy.

When we read through this passage answering the very question….Do you need to keep the law to get saved?

This passage is clear for us. You do not need to keep the law to get saved. But, saved people walk in the Spirit and do the things which are pleasing to the Father.

I pray this video is a blessing to you. If you have any questions or would like me to cover something else, let me know. God bless.

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