Works or Faith?

I go to a Bible Study with some brothers who meet together to study the Book of the Acts in the New Testament. We are involved in street evangelism and want to be lead and taught by the Holy Spirit to be certain we are evangelizing in a pattern consistent with the New Testament. We do not claim to have it all figured out but God is teaching us many great truths from the scriptures. We rotate with each chapter with each of us leading the teaching for a chapter. Most recently I was assigned with the task of leading the teaching on Acts 15. If you read this chapter http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2015&version=NKJV you will find that it is a turning point in the Christian Church. If this situation was not resolved it would have lead to a split in the church with a Jewish church and a Gentile church. One believing that circumcision was a requirement for salvation and the gentile church believing that salvation was by faith alone. 

I have been captivated by this chapter and lead to the book of the Romans chapters 2-5 and the book of the Galatians to understand the basis of salvation. What a wonderful book we have been given by God the Holy Spirit to guide us in our beliefs. The fact is we have teachings in the church today that attached requirements to salvation that the scriptures do not teach. What are some of the things that teachers and religious systems attach to salvation as requirement. Paul is very forceful and plain in Galatians and Romans we are saved by faith and not by works. I am having a wonderful journey through these books that is deepening my faith in God. I hope to post some thoughts later on.