When Grace Is Not Enough (to Them)
Grace doesn’t need rewashing—Christ’s work is complete.
📚 Devotional Credit:
Excerpt from Immeasurably More by Ray C. Stedman
📸 Photo Credit:
Image sourced from Unsplash
The early church in Antioch was thriving—a diverse body of Gentile believers rejoicing in their newfound life in Christ. They had been rescued from darkness, idolatry, and despair, not by law or ritual, but by grace alone. But then, a subtle storm arrived disguised in pious robes. Some visitors from Judea began to add qualifications to salvation: “Unless you are circumcised, you cannot be saved.”
This wasn’t a harmless opinion—it was a betrayal of the very core of the gospel. It claimed that Christ alone was not enough. And the deeper danger? It sounded spiritual. It came from people who appeared to be Christians, quoting Moses with authority, pressing the weight of tradition into the tender hearts of new believers.
Stedman highlights something that has never gone away. While the specific requirement of circumcision may have faded, the principle of adding to grace is alive and well. Today, it might be found in subtle exclusions, doctrinal elitism, denominational superiority, or ritualistic expectations that whisper, “Real Christians do it this way.”
The real heartbreak is not the disagreements themselves, but the assumption that the blood of Jesus needs help. That something external must validate what the Spirit has already accomplished. And when we do this—when we hold people at arm’s length because they don’t worship like us, vote like us, or look like us—we are not just dividing churches. We are misrepresenting Christ.
🕊️ Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture:
I gave My life not to form clubs of similarity, but to reconcile all to the Father in one Body. My gospel is not “Jesus plus”—it is Jesus only. I did not leave My throne so that barriers could be rebuilt in My name.
Let no one deceive you: adding even a single thread to the finished garment of grace is to unravel it all. Circumcision, baptism, denominational labels, or cultural customs—none of these make you Mine. It is by grace through faith that you are saved, and this is not of yourselves. It is My gift.
You were once far off, but now you are brought near by My blood. So why would you let someone else draw lines I never drew? Do not accept shame that I never placed on you. And do not place on others a yoke I never asked them to carry.
Stay alert, My beloved. Even sincere voices can speak error when they no longer walk in the simplicity of Christ. Let your heart be guarded not by suspicion, but by discernment, by My Word, and by the peace that rules in your hearts.
Receive each other as I have received you. In Me there is no Jew or Gentile, no male or female, no insider or outsider—only one new creation. I live in you to express My life through you, not to preserve divisions, but to show the world the unity of My Body.
Let your words affirm the completeness of the cross. Let your life reflect the wideness of My embrace.
(Scripture references: Acts 15:1-11; Ephesians 2:13-22; Galatians 2:4-5; Galatians 3:26-28; Romans 10:9-13; Colossians 2:6-23; Philippians 3:3-9; Titus 3:5-7; 2 Corinthians 11:3-4)
🪞 Real-Life Analogy:
It’s like using a dishwasher and then re-washing every plate by hand—just in case. The machine was built to do the job thoroughly, but something in you can’t believe it worked unless you add your own scrubbing. That’s what legalism is like. It’s not just unnecessary—it’s an insult to the One who already finished the job.
Today, if you find yourself tempted to assess someone’s salvation based on their outward behavior, background, or traditions, pause. Acknowledge the inclination, and yield to the Holy Spirit within you. You can say, “Lord, I trust You to live through me right now in grace and truth. Let Your welcome be expressed through my voice, my heart, and my posture toward others.” Whether in a conversation at work, a church gathering, or even your own self-talk—let the completeness of Christ’s grace settle the question.
🙏 Prayer of Confidence:
Jesus, You are enough. You’ve done what no ritual, race, or rule ever could. Thank You for saving me fully, completely, and eternally by Your grace. I refuse to add to Your finished work. I rest in the freedom You purchased. And I welcome others as You have welcomed me—without exception, without hesitation, and without adding terms. Today, I trust You to express that same grace through me.