Acts 15, the Council at Jerusalem, another watershed moment for Gentiles coming into relationship with God. I anticipated all day yesterday, reading this today and what I might write. This is finally what hit me. There was a significant group of Jews who wanted Gentile Christians to come to Christ like they had. They wanted the Gentiles to know what it was to be Jewish, to have those thoughts and feelings, and to experience Jesus just as they had. This would produce more Christians that looked, thought, and acted just like them. But that was not what God had in mind. Do we do the same thing as those first-century Jews? Do we think that new Christians have to have our thoughts and feelings and experience Jesus just as we did? Once they have come to Jesus, do we expect them to look, think, and act just like us? If they don't, do we doubt the authenticity of their conversion or commitment? The Council at Jerusalem agreed on four essentials, how many do we need? People's chief need is for Jesus! He can change their life, that is not our role. We can point to Him and his teaching, provide some guidance. Producing look-alike followers is the mark of a cult, not Christianity.
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