Just Give Me Jesus (Solum Gratia)

Lord, You alone are worthy of praise and honor. I thank you for a new day of life, with every breath may I sound your praise. Lord open up the eyes of my heart this morning so I may read your word and it change me because I've met with You.

Scripture: Acts 15:1 & 11, "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved...No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

Observation: The first people to receive the gospel were Jews, and they believed that in order to become a follower of Jesus you had to be a Jew. There was a great dispute between the followers of Jesus as to whether one had to be a Jew in order to follow Christ. The met together at what is called the the Council at Jerusalem to discuss this issue. They concluded that one did not have to be a Jew in order to follow Christ.

Application: How many times do we add to the gospel. It is always Jesus + church, or Jesus + Bible Study, or Jesus + tithe, or Jesus + a cool Christian T-shirt or fish on my car. The truth is its just Jesus. It is only by his grace that we are saved. That was the whole point behind the Reformation. It is so easy to add stuff to the gospel. But it must not be done. When we share the gospel with others we must not get in the way and just give them Jesus. Yet, I know that I don't do it just when I share the gospel its in my own life. I tell myself, that its Jesus +, I must get past that lie and realize that its just Jesus. I cannot do anything to earn salvation or earn God's favor. It is by the grace of God alone through faith that allows us to have a personal realtionship with Jesus. Soli Deo Gloria! (To God Alone be the Glory)

Only Grace: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dRJ1ldyCxI