Are you a Christian? How do you know? How do others know? We may have plaques on our walls and verses on our coffee cups. These are not confirmations. Is it the praying of a particular prayer that confirms our salvation? Maybe it is a class we participate in or baptism? Let’s listen to Peter in the Jerusalem council.
When the Jewish believers wanted to make the Gentiles follow the law of Moses to experience justification, the apostles and elders met together and discussed the question. Peter reminded them that they had already decided Gentiles could be saved by hearing the gospel. God marked his acceptance of the new Gentile believers the same way he marked the early Jewish believers: with the Holy Spirit.
The Gentiles, like the Jews were purified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. The Jews were never able to fulfill the law perfectly. Why would they burden these new believers with cultural demands? Why would we? What do we expect of new Christians? Is God’s grace enough to save others or do they have to conform to our customs. Carefully consider: in what ways do we weigh new believers down with cultural requirements?
My friend Randall O'Brien preaches a powerful sermon about what confirms our salvation. Like the Judaizers, we may lean into the “Thou shalt nots.” We don’t drink or cuss or chew or go with those who do. As much as we love the 10 Commandments, posting them in a classroom will not turn the members of the class into Christians. It may make us feel better, but it will not save lost people. Then we may progress to the “Thou shalts.” Go to church every Sunday. Have a devotional time. Join the choir. These things are good. But none of them saves us. Randall says, we must finally get to “Thou”. Relationship with God saves us apart from the works we may perform. The seal of the Holy Spirit confirms we are Christians (2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13, 4:30). Even if we do not have electricity, Christians of all stripes have power in the Holy Spirit. Paul later wrote to the Galatians, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).
