“We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 15:11
Depending on where you’re from, the word “barbeque” can mean different things. To a Texan, BBQ is smoked brisket, but when a Missourian hears the word BBQ, they probably think of smoked ribs. Where I’m from in Eastern North Carolina, we’ve got our own brand of BBQ too, and some distant relatives of mine have gotten pretty famous by sticking with a simple recipe that’s been handed down for generations. In fact, they can trace the origin of their simple recipe as far back as the 1800’s, to a patriarch who’s been credited as being the first to serve this BBQ from the back of a covered wagon. For this family it’s whole hog, cooked on a wood-fired pit, seasoned only with salt, then chopped and dowsed with a vinegar-based sauce, a recipe that’s almost as sacred to them as scripture. And, at their original location, folks still line up at the door to get a tray of their famous BBQ.
The recipe for salvation, delivered to the early Church, was so simple that many struggled with its simplicity. Some found themselves wanting to add things, like circumcision and other aspects of the Mosaic Law, to it. But Paul, Barnabas and Peter knew that the recipe for Salvation, though simple, was worth standing their ground for. They weren’t about to let anyone add anything to it or take anything from it. This recipe for Salvation is the same now as it was then, and that is the simple belief in the finished work of Jesus on the cross and, as Acts 15:11 states, “by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”
Today, resist to the temptation to make the recipe of Salvation complicated and keep this recipe simple in your heart and mind. As you do, your heart will be filled with gratitude and joy.