For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements. Acts 15:28 – With the Gentiles being welcomed into the family of God, the Christians who came from a Jewish background could not understand how anyone could be welcomed into God’s family without keeping the Jewish laws like they did. Obviously if you are a follower of God you must follow God’s law. Great debate went into this, and it was settled that the Gentiles did not have to keep the law of God, but there were some requirements given to the Gentile believers. Not for them to do to earn/keep their salvation, but to foster unity between the Gentile and Jewish backgrounded believers. The concept of this chapter is one that many churches and Christians need to dwell on. Are we heaping on “further requirements” to someone’s faith life than God is putting on them? Do we have beliefs and traditions, that if we see broken we blow up over, yet they are things God never spoke into or labeled as a requirement for Him? Let’s be careful to know what God desires, and let’s be careful not to weight others down by things that don’t fall into that category. Jesus said His burden is light and the weary can come to Him to find rest. If by our laying on of non-scripturally based requirements we are exhausting another believer, then let’s be willing to take a step back to help them find the freedom that comes from following God. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3623
Question To Ponder: What is an example we may see in the church today of a “further requirement” that we lay on people that God didn’t say to?
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