Christianity is About What Christ Has Done

In Romans 14, Paul warned about judging other Christians and trying to get them to live by our standards, reminding us they don’t answer to us, but to God.  We need to make sure we do not drive them away or distract them from serving God by imposing our own standards on them.  As he points out in the first part of Romans 15, the stronger Christians should be able to understand and overlook the mistakes of those who are less mature, and help them learn rather than getting angry with them.  Though Paul had not yet been to Rome, he believed the Christians there were mature enough to help weaker ones through the Holy Spirit’s power, as he states in Romans 15:13-16.  “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.  And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.  Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God, That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.”

Because they had not been raised in the same scriptural traditions as the Jews, many people, both Jews and Gentiles tended to think of the Gentiles as being less spiritual.  Perhaps because he had been so deeply involved with Jewish religion and tradition, Paul was more aware than most that those things had nothing to do with people’s spiritual state, as he explains in Philippians 3:3- 11.  “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.  Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.’

If anyone was qualified to think they were spiritually better because of their background, it was Paul.  He could trace his family tree back for hundreds of years, and his family had followed every tradition for years, including the circumcision and dedication ceremonies.  Paul himself had been one of the most dedicated members of the strictest religious group, even killing those who did not follow those principles exactly.  In order to be saved, Paul had had to forget about all his religious traditions and activities and trust Christ to save him, just the same as any heathen Gentile.  While his training might help him in understanding what God expects, his salvation and spiritual state was entirely dependent on what Christ had done in his life.  The Holy Spirit was able to teach any believing Gentile the things they needed to know even though they had not had the same background. 

Because of his understanding of this, Paul was especially equipped to reach out to the Gentiles.   He realized there was no point in imposing Jewish customs and traditions on Gentile Christians, and as we see in Acts 15, the other apostles agreed when it was brought to their attention.   While the Gentiles should maintain a good moral standard, they were under no obligation to keep the Old Testament Law, because as Galatians 3:13-14 tells us, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” 

Even today there are groups who believe Messianic Jews have a spiritual advantage over other Christians.  Romans 10:12-13 denies any such distinction.  “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  No church or group of Christians should feel either superior or inferior to other groups.  After all, being a Christian is about what Christ has done, not what we do.