Keeping the Holy Laws of Christ |
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when He writes them in your heart. |
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1 Cor 9:21 "To them that are without law, as without law, (being NOT WITHOUT LAW to God, BUT UNDER THE LAW TO CHRIST,) that I might gain them that are without law." Are you "UNDER THE LAW TO CHRIST"? Yes you are if you accept Him as your Lord and Master.
Sunday Christians say that they are not "Under the Law to Christ" therefore they are not subject to keeping the Commandments of EVERYLASTING in the Life of Christ that were alife in the life of Jesus. His life in us is our salvation. Christ spoke His life giving Ten Commandment from heaven, from His own HEART, and gave them to His People in the form of a Covenant to receive His salvation. If one rejects the only Covenant Christ made with mankind for His salvation at the resurrection of the dead, on what bases are you going to receive His Salvation at that time?
Part 1. A Sunday Christians view is that their Sunday God has no laws that leads to his salvation, verses the Jewish view that the "Righteous Laws of the God of Israel" given from the HEART of Christ, when written in the hearts of mankind, delivers them from sin and brings with it the salvation of Christ. (Roman 8: 1-2) The one's with His Salvation are His followers that keep His Holy Commandments and have the same FAITH He had. (Rev 14: 12)
The contemporary Sunday Christian mind set regarding what they call "the Law and referred to as under the law," evolved from a Greek/Roman Christian view and their approach to understanding the Bible. Their view was shaped by the early Roman church fathers from the second to sixth centuries because of their hatred of anything Jewish. When Roman and Greek Christians hear or use the term "Law" in a religious discussions, they are thinking of the Law in a "legal" sense. But when the Jewish Bible talks about the Law of Moses, it is always talking about the First five books of the Hebrew Bible, the whole law in it's written form. (The Five Books that identifies who their God is and contained the Covenant Laws that the God of Israel gave to His people that would deliver them from sin if they would OBEY Him and do them.)
(1 John 3:4 KJV) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the (covenant) law: for sin is the transgression of the law (the Covenant contained in the first five books). (To brake one law in the covenant, is braking the whole covenant.)
(John 4:22 KJV) "Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: FOR SALVATION IS OF THE JEWS." ( Israel was the only Nation who had a covenant that identified who their god truly was and would be, if they would obey Him.)
Three particular ideas found in Sunday Christianity regarding "the Law," pertinent to this discussion, are:
1: Those under the Law of Moses were "under bondage." This bondage ended when Jesus died on the cross. Since then all who believe on Jesus are now set free from their obedience to obey the words of Christ that were found in the laws of the God of Israel that He delivered to the Nation of Isdrael.
2: "No one except Jesus could ever do everything the law requires". -- that's why we need to believe on Jesus. He fulfilled them for us who believe in Him.
3: The law was "a curse" to them that kept it. Jesus came to do away with the law so His followers would not be "Cursed".
These three ideas may not be expressed in exactly the same words in every denomination, but the concepts are clear and are presented in the teachings of Sunday Protestant denominations and Roman and Greek Catholicism.
For instance, Dr. Charles Ryrie's classic book on Christian theology makes it clear that "the Law" referring to the First Five Books of Moses were terminated with the death of Jesus:
"Another important benefit of the death of Christ was the inauguration of the faith-righteousness principle to replace the law-works principle. However, Paul's statement in Romans 10:4, that Christ is the end of the Law, might be understood as either signifying termination or purpose. In other words, either Christ terminated the Law, or the purpose of Christ's coming was to fulfill the Law (Matt. 5:17). However, the termination seems clearly to be the meaning in this context because of the contrast (beginning in Rom. 9:30) between the Law and God's righteousness. Paul's argument that follows is not that the Jew was incomplete and needed the coming of Christ to perfect his position before God, but that his position under the law-works principle was absolutely wrong because it sought to establish righteousness by human effort rather than by accepting God's gift of righteousness. Though it is true that our Lord fulfilled the Law, this passage is not teaching that, but rather that He terminated the Law and provided a new and living way to God. (1)
Another example showing the difference between what "the Law" and Jesus could do for us, may be found in the popular Christian book, When Skeptics Ask, by Norman L. Geisler:
While Moses set up the moral and social structures that guided the nation, the Law could not save anyone from the penalty of their sins, which is death. As Paul says, 'By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin' (Rom 3:20). The revelation which came through Jesus, though, was one in which the sins which the Law made known are forgiven, 'being justified as a gift by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus' (v. 24). Christ's revelation builds on the foundation of Moses by solving the problem of which the Law made us aware. (2)
Beyond the inability of anyone to be saved by "the Law," Christianity also says that those who taught people to continue in "the Law," after coming to believe in the Messiah, were heretics.
"In the New Testament itself we get glimpses of teachers who failed in their responsibility and became false teachers. There were teachers who tried to turn Christianity into another kind of Judaism and tried to introduce circumcision and the keeping of the law." (3)
The Christian view of "the Law" is also conveyed in "headings" found at the beginning of sections throughout Christian Bibles. These captions are placed there by the editors to help direct the reader as to what the next group of verses is concerned with.
For instance, at the beginning of the following sections in the "New Testament," of a popular New King James version of the Bible, (4) we find the following phrases:
Romans 7:1-6: "Freed from the Law"
Romans 14:1-13: "The Law of Liberty"
Galatians 3:10-14: "The Law Brings a Curse"
Galatians 5:7 -15: "Love Fulfills the Law"
Sunday Christianity's View of Judaism
Sunday Christianity distinguishes itself from Judaism (the "religion of Law") with the idea that the former is a religion of faith and love, whereas Judaism, is one of works. To quote William Barclay again;
"Sunday Christian lives under the law of liberty, and it is by the law of liberty he will be judged. What he means is this. Unlike the Pharisee and the orthodox Jew, the Christian is not a man whose life is governed by the external pressure of a whole series of rules and regulations imposed on him from without. He is governed by the inner compulsion of love. He follows the right way, the way of love to God and love to men, not because any external law compels him to do so nor because any threat of punishment frightens him into doing so, but because the love of Christ within his heart makes him desire to do so." (5)
Christian Bible footnotes, commentary books and sermons from the pulpits have expressed this thought for centuries, maintaining that Christianity is God's true religion. For example, in a commentary appendix to one version of the King James Bible, regarding the book of Hebrews, it says:
"With carefully reasoned arguments the author showed that Christianity is superior to Judaism," ... "Christianity is the perfect religion." (6)
The same commentary regarding the book of Gelatines states:
"Gelatines has been called the Christian declaration of independence. It is Paul's answer to those who challenged his authority as an apostle and who urged Christians in Agalma to live according to the Law of Moses. Adoption of the Jewish Law by Gentile Christians would have made Christianity merely a sect within Judaism. Paul taught that bondage to the Law ended when Christ made all men free." (7)
Renowned Christian author, J. Vermin Mk, makes the following statement about the apostle Paul and the Jewish religion in his Bible commentary:
"Paul now calls the religion in which he was brought up the 'Jews' religion.' Paul was saved, not in Judaism, but from Judaism." (Emphasized words are McGee's) (8)
Sunday Christianity's View of the "New Testament's" Teachings on "the Law"
Sunday Christianity holds that those who come to "have faith in Jesus," (Jew or Gentile) no longer need be concerned with "the Law of the God of Israel" as they now have "liberty from their faith to live as they want." Sunday Christianity tries to gives most of the credit for this teaching to Paul, who they say, taught against "the Laws of God," and showed in his own life that "the Law of Christ" no longer had any practical meaning for him. Christs Covenant with Israel dose not agree with the understanding of Sunday Christianity.
(Mat 19:16-18 KJV) "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, WHAT GOOD THING MUST I DO, that I may have ETERNAL LIFE? {17} And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but IF THOU WILL ENTER INTO LIFE, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS 18} He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,"
Frequently cited verses in supporting their view are;
For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness for everyone who believes. (Romans 10:4)
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be every one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do them." (Galatians 3:10)
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us -- for it is written, "Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree." (Galatians 3:13)
Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (Colossians 2:14)
Therefore let no one pass judgement on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17)
Sunday Christianity's Relationship to the Jewish people.
Sunday Christianity teaches that Jesus indeed came to the Jewish people, but they rejected him. The Jewish leadership (the Pharisees) were so "caught up in the Law," that they missed their own Messiah. The Church was created and given the job of spreading the Gospel of Jesus to the unsaved. (Matthew 16:18,19; Acts chapter 2)
The Sunday Church teaches that the Jews missed in their calling, 2000 years ago. Therefore the Sunday Churches have an obligation today to bring their new Sunday Gospel to the Jewish people. Many Christian churches have created specific ministries, or launched campaigns, to evangelize the Jews with their Roman Sunday Christianity.
In recent years, denominations such as the Baptists, and Assemblies of God, have stated that they have not been as successful as they had wished in the area of Jewish evangelism, and have rededicated themselves to this effort. Some are now making efforts to take a more "Jewish approach" in their "witnessing," by training their people to use "Jewish terminology" when talking to Jews about their Jesus. (i.e., to say "Yeshua," rather than "Jesus," or "Messiah" rather than "Christ.")
Part 2. The Biblical Hebrew View of the Law/Torah and Salvation LINK TO: THE TWO BABYLONS by Alexander Hishop. A complete study of the source of all Paganism in the Sunday Christian Churches. A must to read for all who want to know the TRUTH. |