s20090104m_What God Wants Me to Know about My Opinions
WHAT GOD WANTS ME TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT MY OPINIONS—Acts 15.5-11
My Opinions Are Important to Me Because:
1) I Believe Them; 2) They Make Me Comfortable; 3) I Can Justify Myself With Them;
4) I Grew Up With Them; 5) I Do Not Like To Change Them
Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the Law of Moses.” Acts 15:5
As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Galatians 1:9
God Wants Me to Understand That
· My Opinions Do Not Change [TO WHOM HE GIVES THE HOLY SPIRIT]
God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. Acts 15:8
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Eph 4:3-6
· My Opinions Do Not Change [WHOSE HEART HE PURIFIES]
He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Acts 15:9
4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand…9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. Romans 14:4 and 9-10
My Opinions Do Not Change [THAT I AM NOT TO BURDEN DISCIPLES WITH THEM]
Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? Acts 15:10
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.16 Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Romans 14:13 and16-18
My Opinions Do Not Change [THE FACT THAT GOD CHOOSES HIS CHILDREN BY GRACE]
No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” Acts 15:11
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. Acts 15:6-7