Debate & Relational Charity
To the ends of the earth - Acts 15:22-35 (ESV) - Pastor Tim Kroeker
1 CORINTHIANS 10:31-32
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God.”
It’s common to disparage doctrine and doctrinal debates. You might think doctrine is for theology nerds; a mere intellectual exercise. Perhaps you may think it's even more malignant than that; doctrine divides. Doctrines are beliefs that govern behavior. We all espouse doctrines. The only question is whether or not our doctrine is sound.
In last week’s episode, we read that church leaders gathered in Jerusalem to debate a fundamental doctrinal question: What must a person do to be saved? The Jerusalem Council unequivocally affirmed that we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ apart from any works of the Law. These doctrines of grace—salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone—repudiated the false teachers who insisted that Gentile believers must convert to Judaism. The Gentile believers were free.
However, the doctrines of grace aren’t merely hills to die on; they revolutionize the way that we live and interact with one another both inside and outside the church. The letter that the Jerusalem Council sent back to the church at Antioch not only brought doctrinal clarity, but it also gave wise instructions on relational charity. We see that the gospel of grace prioritized relationships, and it propelled revival. The gospel of grace is not just a doctrine to be affirmed; it is a spiritual reality to be lived out.
