THE PROBLEM WITH GIVING INTO PEER PRESSURE

THE PROBLEM WITH GIVING INTO PEER PRESSURE 

Acts 15:1-2,5-11,13,19-31 

And Certain Men Which Came Down From Judaea Taught The Brethren, And Said, Except Ye Be Circumcised After The Manner Of Moses, Ye Cannot Be Saved. When Therefore Paul And Barnabas Had No Small Dissension And Disputation With Them, They Determined That Paul And Barnabas, And Certain Other Of Them, Should Go Up To Jerusalem Unto The Apostles And Elders About This Question. 

[5] But There Rose Up Certain Of The Sect Of The Pharisees Which Believed, Saying, That It Was Needful To Circumcise Them, And To Command Them To Keep The Law Of Moses. And The Apostles And Elders Came Together For To Consider Of This Matter. And When There Had Been Much Disputing, Peter Rose Up, And Said Unto Them, Men And Brethren, Ye Know How That A Good While Ago God Made Choice Among Us, That The Gentiles By My Mouth Should Hear The Word Of The Gospel, And Believe. And God, Which Knoweth The Hearts, Bare Them Witness, Giving Them The Holy Ghost, Even As He Did Unto Us; And Put No Difference Between Us And Them, Purifying Their Hearts By Faith. Now Therefore Why Tempt Ye God, To Put A Yoke Upon The Neck Of The Disciples, Which Neither Our Fathers Nor We Were Able To Bear? But We Believe That Through The Grace Of The Lord Jesus Christ We Shall Be Saved, Even As They. 

[13] And After They Had Held Their Peace, James Answered, Saying, Men And Brethren, Hearken Unto Me: 

[19] Wherefore My Sentence Is, That We Trouble Not Them, Which From Among The Gentiles Are Turned To God: But That We Write Unto Them, That They Abstain From Pollutions Of Idols, And From Fornication, And From Things Strangled, And From Blood. For Moses Of Old Time Hath In Every City Them That Preach Him, Being Read In The Synagogues Every Sabbath Day. Then Pleased It The Apostles And Elders, With The Whole Church, To Send Chosen Men Of Their Own Company To Antioch With Paul And Barnabas; Namely, Judas Surnamed Barsabas, And Silas, Chief Men Among The Brethren: And They Wrote Letters By Them After This Manner; The Apostles And Elders And Brethren Send Greeting Unto The Brethren Which Are Of The Gentiles In Antioch And Syria And Cilicia: Forasmuch As We Have Heard, That Certain Which Went Out From Us Have Troubled You With Words, Subverting Your Souls, Saying, Ye Must Be Circumcised, And Keep The Law: To Whom We Gave No Such Commandment: It Seemed Good Unto Us, Being Assembled With One Accord, To Send Chosen Men Unto You With Our Beloved Barnabas And Paul, Men That Have Hazarded Their Lives For The Name Of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  We Have Sent Therefore Judas And Silas, Who Shall Also Tell You The Same Things By Mouth. For It Seemed Good To The Holy Ghost, And To Us, To Lay Upon You No Greater Burden Than These Necessary Things; That Ye Abstain From Meats Offered To Idols, And From Blood, And From Things Strangled, And From Fornication: From Which If Ye Keep Yourselves, Ye Shall Do Well. Fare Ye Well. So When They Were Dismissed, They Came To Antioch: And When They Had Gathered The Multitude Together, They Delivered The Epistle: Which When They Had Read, They Rejoiced For The Consolation.

Galatians 2:1-16 

Then Fourteen Years After I Went Up Again To Jerusalem With Barnabas, And Took Titus With Me Also. And I Went Up By Revelation, And Communicated Unto Them That Gospel Which I Preach Among The Gentiles, But Privately To Them Which Were Of Reputation, Lest By Any Means I Should Run, Or Had Run, In Vain. But Neither Titus, Who Was With Me, Being A Greek, Was Compelled To Be Circumcised: And That Because Of False Brethren Unawares Brought In, Who Came In Privily To Spy Out Our Liberty Which We Have In Christ Jesus, That They Might Bring Us Into Bondage: To Whom We Gave Place By Subjection, No, Not For An Hour; That The Truth Of The Gospel Might Continue With You. But Of These Who Seemed To Be Somewhat, (Whatsoever They Were, It Maketh No Matter To Me: God Accepteth No Man's Person:) For They Who Seemed To Be Somewhat In Conference Added Nothing To Me: But Contrariwise, When They Saw That The Gospel Of The Uncircumcision Was Committed Unto Me, As The Gospel Of The Circumcision Was Unto Peter; (For He That Wrought Effectually In Peter To The Apostleship Of The Circumcision, The Same Was Mighty In Me Toward The Gentiles:) And When James, Cephas, And John, Who Seemed To Be Pillars, Perceived The Grace That Was Given Unto Me, They Gave To Me And Barnabas The Right Hands Of Fellowship; That We Should Go Unto The Heathen, And They Unto The Circumcision. Only They Would That We Should Remember The Poor; The Same Which I Also Was Forward To Do. But When Peter Was Come To Antioch, I Withstood Him To The Face, Because He Was To Be Blamed. For Before That Certain Came From James, He Did Eat With The Gentiles: But When They Were Come, He Withdrew And Separated Himself, Fearing Them Which Were Of The Circumcision. And The Other Jews Dissembled Likewise With Him; Insomuch That Barnabas Also Was Carried Away With Their Dissimulation. But When I Saw That They Walked Not Uprightly According To The Truth Of The Gospel, I Said Unto Peter Before Them All, If Thou, Being A Jew, Livest After The Manner Of Gentiles, And Not As Do The Jews, Why Compellest Thou The Gentiles To Live As Do The Jews? We Who Are Jews By Nature, And Not Sinners Of The Gentiles, Knowing That A Man Is Not Justified By The Works Of The Law, But By The Faith Of Jesus Christ, Even We Have Believed In Jesus Christ, That We Might Be Justified By The Faith Of Christ, And Not By The Works Of The Law: For By The Works Of The Law Shall No Flesh Be Justified.

Romans 4:16 

Therefore It Is Of Faith, That It Might Be By Grace; To The End The Promise Might Be Sure To All The Seed; Not To That Only Which Is Of The Law, But To That Also Which Is Of The Faith Of Abraham; Who Is The Father Of Us All,

Romans 5:1-2 

Therefore Being Justified By Faith, We Have Peace With God Through Our Lord Jesus Christ: By Whom Also We Have Access By Faith Into This Grace Wherein We Stand, And Rejoice In Hope Of The Glory Of God.

Ephesians 2:8-10 

For By Grace Are Ye Saved Through Faith; And That Not Of Yourselves: It Is The Gift Of God: Not Of Works, Lest Any Man Should Boast. For We Are His Workmanship, Created In Christ Jesus Unto Good Works, Which God Hath Before Ordained That We Should Walk In Them.

Acts 10:9-16,28 

On The Morrow, As They Went On Their Journey, And Drew Nigh Unto The City, Peter Went Up Upon The Housetop To Pray About The Sixth Hour: And He Became Very Hungry, And Would Have Eaten: But While They Made Ready, He Fell Into A Trance, And Saw Heaven Opened, And A Certain Vessel Descending Unto Him, As It Had Been A Great Sheet Knit At The Four Corners, And Let Down To The Earth: Wherein Were All Manner Of Fourfooted Beasts Of The Earth, And Wild Beasts, And Creeping Things, And Fowls Of The Air. And There Came A Voice To Him, Rise, Peter; Kill, And Eat. But Peter Said, Not So, Lord; For I Have Never Eaten Any Thing That Is Common Or Unclean. And The Voice Spake Unto Him Again The Second Time, What God Hath Cleansed, That Call Not Thou Common. This Was Done Thrice: And The Vessel Was Received Up Again Into Heaven. 

[28] And He Said Unto Them, Ye Know How That It Is An Unlawful Thing For A Man That Is A Jew To Keep Company, Or Come Unto One Of Another Nation; But God Hath Shewed Me That I Should Not Call Any Man Common Or Unclean.

I Have, In The Past, Felt The Peer Pressure Of Others Trying To Get Me To Stop Teaching Salvation Is Of Faith By Grace, And We Are No Longer Under The Law But Under Grace. Some People Wanted Me To Doubt Grace, So I Started Studying My Bible For Myself. The Problem With Peer Pressure Is That You Back Off What You Know Is True. Peter Knew That Salvation Is Of Faith That It Might Be By Grace. Peter Was An Apostle Of Christ Jesus; He Walked With Him For Years, And Christ Jesus Taught Him, But Still Let The Peer Pressure Of Others Persuade Him To Put His Knowledge To The Side. Peter Knew He Had Received The Word Of Faith By Grace In A Trance; God Told Him All Men Could Receive Salvation, Not Just The Jewish People. The Law Of God Is What Separated The Jewish People And The Gentiles. The Gentiles Were Considered Unclean Because They Did Not Have The Law. The Bible Explains It In Ephesians 2:8-22,

For By Grace Are Ye Saved Through Faith; And That Not Of Yourselves: It Is The Gift Of God: Not Of Works, Lest Any Man Should Boast. For We Are His Workmanship, Created In Christ Jesus Unto Good Works, Which God Hath Before Ordained That We Should Walk In Them. Wherefore Remember, That Ye Being In Time Past Gentiles In The Flesh, Who Are Called Uncircumcision By That Which Is Called The Circumcision In The Flesh Made By Hands; That At That Time Ye Were Without Christ, Being Aliens From The Commonwealth Of Israel, And Strangers From The Covenants Of Promise, Having No Hope, And Without God In The World: But Now In Christ Jesus Ye Who Sometimes Were Far Off Are Made Nigh By The Blood Of Christ. For He Is Our Peace, Who Hath Made Both One, And Hath Broken Down The Middle Wall Of Partition Between Us; Having Abolished In His Flesh The Enmity, Even The Law Of Commandments Contained In Ordinances; For To Make In Himself Of Twain One New Man, So Making Peace; And That He Might Reconcile Both Unto God In One Body By The Cross, Having Slain The Enmity Thereby: And Came And Preached Peace To You Which Were Afar Off, And To Them That Were Nigh. For Through Him We Both Have Access By One Spirit Unto The Father. Now Therefore Ye Are No More Strangers And Foreigners, But Fellowcitizens With The Saints, And Of The Household Of God; And Are Built Upon The Foundation Of The Apostles And Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself Being The Chief Corner Stone; In Whom All The Building Fitly Framed Together Groweth Unto An Holy Temple In The Lord: In Whom Ye Also Are Builded Together For An Habitation Of God Through The Spirit.

The Fulfillment Of Christ Jesus took the Law Away So Everyone Can Live In Faith By Grace, Colossians 2:14 

Blotting Out The Handwriting Of Ordinances That Was Against Us, Which Was Contrary To Us, And Took It Out Of The Way, Nailing It To His Cross;

Romans 7:4-6 

Wherefore, My Brethren, Ye Also Are Become Dead To The Law By The Body Of Christ; That Ye Should Be Married To Another, Even To Him Who Is Raised From The Dead, That We Should Bring Forth Fruit Unto God. For When We Were In The Flesh, The Motions Of Sins, Which Were By The Law, Did Work In Our Members To Bring Forth Fruit Unto Death. But Now We Are Delivered From The Law, That Being Dead Wherein We Were Held; That We Should Serve In Newness Of Spirit, And Not In The Oldness Of The Letter.

Luke 24:44 

And He Said Unto Them, These Are The Words Which I Spake Unto You, While I Was Yet With You, That All Things Must Be Fulfilled, Which Were Written In The Law Of Moses, And In The Prophets, And In The Psalms, Concerning Me.

Acts 13:29-30,33-39 

And When They Had Fulfilled All That Was Written Of Him, They Took Him Down From The Tree, And Laid Him In A Sepulchre. But God Raised Him From The Dead: 

[33] God Hath Fulfilled The Same Unto Us Their Children, In That He Hath Raised Up Jesus Again; As It Is Also Written In The Second Psalm, Thou Art My Son, This Day Have I Begotten Thee. And As Concerning That He Raised Him Up From The Dead, Now No More To Return To Corruption, He Said On This Wise, I Will Give You The Sure Mercies Of David. Wherefore He Saith Also In Another Psalm, Thou Shalt Not Suffer Thine Holy One To See Corruption.  For David, After He Had Served His Own Generation By The Will Of God, Fell On Sleep, And Was Laid Unto His Fathers, And Saw Corruption: But He, Whom God Raised Again, Saw No Corruption. Be It Known Unto You Therefore, Men And Brethren, That Through This Man Is Preached Unto You The Forgiveness Of Sins: And By Him All That Believe Are Justified From All Things, From Which Ye Could Not Be Justified By The Law Of Moses.

Romans 6:15-23 

What Then? Shall We Sin, Because We Are Not Under The Law, But Under Grace? God Forbid. Know Ye Not, That To Whom Ye Yield Yourselves Servants To Obey, His Servants Ye Are To Whom Ye Obey; Whether Of Sin Unto Death, Or Of Obedience Unto Righteousness? But God Be Thanked, That Ye Were The Servants Of Sin, But Ye Have Obeyed From The Heart That Form Of Doctrine Which Was Delivered You. Being Then Made Free From Sin, Ye Became The Servants Of Righteousness. I Speak After The Manner Of Men Because Of The Infirmity Of Your Flesh: For As Ye Have Yielded Your Members Servants To Uncleanness And To Iniquity Unto Iniquity; Even So Now Yield Your Members Servants To Righteousness Unto Holiness. For When Ye Were The Servants Of Sin, Ye Were Free From Righteousness. What Fruit Had Ye Then In Those Things Whereof Ye Are Now Ashamed? For The End Of Those Things Is Death. But Now Being Made Free From Sin, And Become Servants To God, Ye Have Your Fruit Unto Holiness, And The End Everlasting Life. For The Wages Of Sin Is Death; But The Gift Of God Is Eternal Life Through Jesus Christ Our Lord.

Colossians 1:22-23 

In The Body Of His Flesh Through Death, To Present You Holy And Unblameable And Unreproveable In His Sight: If Ye Continue In The Faith Grounded And Settled, And Be Not Moved Away From The Hope Of The Gospel, Which Ye Have Heard, And Which Was Preached To Every Creature Which Is Under Heaven; Whereof I Paul Am Made A Minister;

Ephesians 2:8-10 

For By Grace Are Ye Saved Through Faith; And That Not Of Yourselves: It Is The Gift Of God: Not Of Works, Lest Any Man Should Boast. For We Are His Workmanship, Created In Christ Jesus Unto Good Works, Which God Hath Before Ordained That We Should Walk In Them.

Donna K Purifoy 

9/6/2023