Acts 15:1, 10-11 (CJB), “But some men came down from Y’hudah to Antioch and began teaching the brothers, ‘You can’t be saved unless you undergo b’rit-milah in the manner prescribed by Moshe.’ So why are you putting God to the test now by placing a yoke on the neck of the talmidim which neither our fathers nor we have had the strength to bear? No, it is through the love and kindness of the Lord Yeshua that we trust and are delivered — and it’s the same with them.”

God came to live among us as one of us through His covenant people Israel, fulfilling the promises He made through the prophets. From Abraham onward, God’s will has been clear: He desires the reconciliation of all people to Himself.

Yet even after walking with Jesus for three years, the Jews struggled to accept that Gentiles could be part of God’s family without first adopting the customs and laws of Israel. We see a similar temptation today in our own lives: the desire to earn God’s favor by doing more, giving more, or performing better.

The truth is simple but radical: Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. We cannot earn God’s love. We cannot perform acts to make ourselves more acceptable. God’s love is freely given to all who repent and trust in the perfect work of Jesus—the life He lived, the sacrifice He made, and the Spirit He gives to seal us as His children.

Obedience is not how we earn God’s love. It is the natural response of a heart transformed by His mercy and grace. When we try to add requirements—rituals, works, or rules beyond the call to repent and believe—we violate the kindness of God and distort the gospel.

Run Today’s Play:

• Reflect: Ask yourself, am I trusting God’s love for me, or am I still trying to earn it by my own efforts?

• Repent: Identify any areas where you are “adding yokes” to your faith—legalism, self-reliance, or striving to earn favor.

• Act: Rest fully in Jesus’ sacrifice. Walk daily in obedience, not to earn love, but to express love and gratitude to the One who has already saved you.

• Share: Encourage another man in your life to trust God’s grace alone. Remind him that faith in Christ, not works, is the path to eternal life.

God calls us to receive His kindness, trust His grace, and live boldly in the freedom of His love. The gospel is powerful and simple: repent, believe, and rest in Him.