“1 Some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved!” 2 But after Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, the church arranged for Paul and Barnabas and some others of them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this controversy. 3 When they had been sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, explaining in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they created great joy among all the brothers.

4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. 5 But some of the believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses!”

Acts 15:1-5 

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It’s human nature, I suppose. We are free in Christ, but we want to see what those boundaries are, how far they stretch. Others, when they find what God has done through Christ want to lay out boundaries immediately, so they can grasp what’s been given to them. “This is good, this is bad.” That sort of thing. Here in Acts 15, we find a group of well meaning, but misguided believers. They weren’t trying to divide, but they weren’t letting grace be grace either. It seemed reasonable to them, because they had to be circumcised in order to begin their covenant relationship with God, and so these newcomers should take this step, too. We still do this today. 

Maybe you grew up in church. Your parents wore suits and nice dresses, hats and gloves. Church was something you dressed up for, and if someone didn’t, they were frowned upon. So, when you go to church now as an adult, and you see someone ‘not giving it their best’ they get downgraded in your mind and their faith doesn’t measure up. It’s not always something we think about directly, but it still surfaces as an opinion or a bias within us. But jutst like Jesus Christ made no requirement for circumcision, He also made no requirement for dress code. What God desires, and has from the beginning, is our heart. 

So, we must let grace be enough and not put secondary standards out as a litmus test for faith. If it isn’t laid out in Scripture, then there’s room to breathe and move around a little. Have grace with others as it has been shown to you, and don’t get hung up on the surface rituals we all have, but be concerned for their heart and your own. Do whatever you can to maintain the unity of the body of Christ. Stand on Him as our common ground. Just because you had to wear a sport coat and slacks growing up doesn’t mean that is the gold standard for what it means to follow Jesus Christ. The position of our heart comes first and foremost. Our primary concern is walking as Jesus walked. 

Circumcision was a marker for faith in a parent, and the sign of the continued covenant relationship with God for their people. So, it did run more deeply than a suit and tie, but the basic message is the same. Let grace be grace as you GoLove others in the Name of Christ. Evaluate what your experience tells you is essential in the light of Scripture, and see if they really do mesh. Baptism? Yes. Obedience? Yes. Being active with and supporting the local church and global missions? Yes. These are all markers of a Christian, and there are others. We live repentant, humble lives. We seek to serve those who cannot pay us back. We love unconditionally. These markers in us are far more important than a ceremonial marker that could exist on the body, but not be reflected in the inner person. The heart matters most. An ichthus tattoo does not a Christian make.