Today’s Reading: Acts 15:1-21

Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Acts 15:1

What is a sign of your faith? 

For years, to be a person of God, part of the covenant, males had to be circumcised. This practice, instituted under Abraham in Genesis, continued into the days of the early church. As the church grew, so did its number of teachers and leaders, who eventually came to a dispute about whether new Gentile converts needed to be circumcised. 

Remember here that Gentile simply means someone who is not Jewish. The faith spread rapidly among Gentile populations in its early days, so this question about circumcision was pertinent. 

A council gathers to consider this question. There, they debate and consult scripture, meaning what we call today the Old Testament (remember, the New Testament had not yet even been written). There, they find the answer. No, they conclude, Gentiles need not be circumcised. 

The people of God will be called by God, and God will leave God’s imprint on their heart. Paul would develop this later to talk about our bodies being a Temple: literally, the dwelling place of God. God marks us indelibly on the inside. 

But sometimes, I admit, it’s nice to have an external sign of our faith, too. After a period of significant spiritual growth, Dana bought me a glass sphere from Jekyll Island. It serves as a reminder of my faith and how God has called me. In this way, I see that God has left a mark on my life; and, to that mark, I owe my life.

Think
What is a sign of my faith, something that reminds me that God has left a mark on my life and that, to that mark, I owe my life? 

Pray
Ask God to show you how to live out your calling today, deepening what it means to be marked by God.

Do
Live out your calling as God reveals it to you. 

Think, Pray, Do. As we respond in faith to scripture, God moves in power through our minds, hearts, and bodies. We are the people of God. Thanks for reading today. Go in peace. Amen.

Think, Pray, Do devotionals by Ted Goshorn follow the suggested bible reading plan from his website and book, Prayer Changes Us. Find this Bible reading plan at tedgoshorn.org/biblereading. If you have found today’s devotion helpful, don’t forget to subscribe for daily emails at tedgoshorn.org and share with others that we may think, pray, and do faithfully.