“Revelation versus Tradition"
Acts 11:1-18

And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!” [Acts 11:2-3]

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” [Ephesians 2:8-9] This is the doctrine of salvation. It came by revelation and yet is oftentimes contended.

Salvation is a gift made available through the work of Jesus on the Cross. All sin was placed on Him at the Cross and then the declaration, “It is finished.” What was finished? The work of redemption, salvation. We have been redeemed at the Cross; sin dealt with. The Lamb of God was slain for the sin of the world. Our part now is to receive that work by faith.

But how often we find ourselves defending the grace of God and even among ones claiming to be Christian. The cults know not grace. Theirs is a works-centered salvation, i.e., “Only if I’m good enough…” “Only if I give enough…” “Only if I’m baptized in water…” etc. 

Grace was even a new revelation to historical figures like Jan Huss and Martin Luther who were at the center of the Reformation.

“And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”  This is the record of the first major conflict in the church, and it was between grace and works. It would not be the last. 

Peter had witnessed the Spirit poured out upon the Gentiles [ref. Acts 10:44], and it conflicted with religious tradition. Tradition was the works of the law; revelation was the grace of God.

There is nothing wrong with tradition, but when it conflicts with God’s revelation the tradition must go. And that is the narrative of Acts 11 [and further]. The clean and unclean traditions had to go, because the revelation of God came, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” [Acts 10:13, 15] 

There is a cleansing uniquely from the Lord, it comes by way of the Cross, and it cannot be earned through fallible works. It can only be received [by grace] through faith in the infallible offering of Christ, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

When it comes to God’s revelation versus religious tradition, we must always choose revelation.