Becoming New

This powerful exploration of identity in Christ takes us deep into Acts 15 and the Jerusalem Council, where the early church wrestled with a question that still resonates today: what really changes when we meet Jesus? The sermon unpacks the dramatic conflict that erupted when some believers insisted that Gentile converts needed to be circumcised and follow the law of Moses to be truly saved. Through careful examination of God's covenant with Abraham and the apostles' Spirit-led deliberations, we discover something revolutionary. Salvation is not about religious performance or cultural conformity. It is pure, undeserved grace given to all who believe. Peter's testimony about Cornelius reminds us that God makes no distinction between people, cleansing hearts through faith alone. The Jerusalem Council's decision wasn't about lowering standards but recognizing a profound truth: holy living flows from being filled with the Holy Spirit, not from external requirements. When we belong to Christ, we receive a new identity that transcends our past, our culture, and our failures. We are no longer slaves to sin but citizens of heaven, children of God, empowered to walk in step with Jesus. This is not about what we must do, but about who we have become.