Admitting right off the bat that many have curtly dismissed much of the Old Testament as referring only to the Jews, there has also been, on the other hand, in recent years an overemphasis of the Old Testament so as to eclipse what Christ has done in the NEW. Imbalance in this area will not only stunt the growth of Christians (Jews and Gentiles) but also will bring profound eschatological consequences in the near future. The growing Messianic Roots trend has a number of unhealthy elements to it and it (the MR movement) will hand-deliver the less wary right into the hands of the Antichrist. Or do people not know that the false will come first?
Well, that point needs to be taken up in a separate post. There are several preliminary issues here that need unravelling. The first need is probably to understand that we are All one in Christ Jesus. I don't have an argument against those who worship God as Jews and identify strongly with their Jewish background. I do have a serious problem if one tries to make me more Jewish and turn my back on the unity of Christ that all believers have. We can't neglect Ephesians 4:4-7, written by that most Jewish of Apostles:
Notice the perfect unity above: Seven "One's" in that first sentence. Seven, the number of perfection. We have perfect unity. We need to be very, very careful that we don't get swept away in this new wind of doctrine of neo-Judaism.
Those who argue against those seven "ones" above also must not believe Ephesians 2:11-22. That passage comforts us with the good news that Christ's death and resurrection removed two things, once for all: The enmity between us and God And the "wall of separation" between believing Jew and believing Gentile. Who wants to put either of those two barriers back up?!
What about the commandments, then? There are two easy and peaceful answers:
1. If we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh . Read Galatians 5:16 - and the rest of this letter that was written to combat a similar Judaizing in the 1st century. Our salvation is so wonderful and so simple and so pure (We overcome by faith) yet we need to constantly maintain that very simplicity of childlike faith in God. We also need to be better Bereans so we can tell the real from the false.
2. All of the commandments come together in two clear commandments (Matthew 22:38-40):
��Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.� This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: �Love your neighbor as yourself.� All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.�
Nothing said there about worshipping on Sunday or Saturday, or about writing the name of G_d carefully, or any of a number of issues that that have risen up needlessly in recent years to confuse the unstable.
The Law could never badger us into peace with God. Peter admits as much at the Council at Jerusalem. The Law was (and is - for those outside the body of Christ) the personal tutor that leads us to the better Way, Truth and Life. Paul was concerned for the ministry of Timothy (1st Tim. 1:4-11), that he would not allow false teaching to turn away from the living faith. He warned of "teachers of the law" who ...
Then he reminds Timothy - and us, I hope - of the purpose of the Law:
These are just some general comments that came to mind. I am convinced that misunderstanding the Law (it's purpose And it's scope) has faith-deadening consequences. "The Law is not made for the righteous". Those are God's words, not mine. God forbid that any of us try to build again - our own righteousness - what God demolished by His wonderful Spirit of grace and liberty. Neither do we want to seem to abolish the Law. The Law, as found in the Old Testament (and how much more in the New), is an expression of the holiness of the One who said "Be holy for I am holy". The controversy we have is not with the message of the Law, but with the means of fulfilling the requirements of the Law. By our faith in Christ and living by faith, by walking in the Spirit, we fulfill those requirements. By knowing that we are "accepted in the Beloved" we don't have to live in constant doubt. We seek to walk in a pleasing way to Him because of Christ's saving us, not in order to make ourselves worthy of being saved.
"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ."
"devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God�s work � which is by faith.
The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm."
"We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers � and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me."
Updated: March 12, 2002
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