The Apostle Paul says in Acts 15:12, “We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus. He says this in response to some men in the church at Judea who were teaching new believers that they must be circumcised in order to be saved. In other words, they were adding the law or “works” to the finished work of the cross. Paul and Barnabas argued “vehemently” against these erroneous teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am sure the teachers in Judea assumed that the law was still valid and vital, since the law had been the center of Jewish life for so long. Obviously, they did not understand the concept that Jesus came to fulfill the Law. And we learn from Jesus in Mark 2 that you cannot put new wine into old wine skins. The old way of doing things doesn’t work with THE Way. 

Have you heard the saying, “Jesus plus nothing equals everything”? Understanding that Jesus is the Way, Truth and Life and through faith in Him…that is salvation. Salvation is not Jesus plus religious obligations or rules. Salvation is Jesus plus NOTHING. 

Many of us have experienced a legalistic, religious environment that burdened us with lists of requirements to secure our salvation or keep us saved. But, praise Jesus, in Him, there is freedom from religion! Jesus offers His undeserved grace for every one of us and there is nothing that we can do to add to or take away from His finished work. Any time I feel myself falling into the trap of performance, condemnation or pride in my own works, I turn my gaze to my Savior and remember His words on the cross, “It is finished!” I am saved, healed, delivered and set free because of Jesus and nothing else!