Acts 15:1-12 The Council at Jerusalem

Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”  And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.  When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”The apostles and the elders came together to ^[b]look into this ^[c]matter.  After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.  And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;  and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.  Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

This is the beginning of the New Covenant.  Yes, the Jews have a covenant with God and He made requirements of His covenant people which include circumcision.  But God did not make this same covenant with the gentiles, but because of the Cross, by faith they can be saved.  The gospel message then becomes for everyone, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross and you will be saved.  It does not imply that gentiles should adopt Jewish Law, because if it did, it would imply that Christ alone is not enough.  But instead it does recognize that the sole reason for Christ's coming is that many my be brought to faith.  

Daily Prayer:  Lord, let us not try to earn salvation by works of the flesh, because those are dead. Instead, let us inherit eternal life by trust You with our lives so that we may live out our lives in You and be saved.  In Jesus name I pray Amen.