You'd think with the evil in our world, with the rampant hatred and mocking of God and those who follow God, with abundant cults, with the atheism and secular world we live in, Christians could find better targets to attack than the act of obeying God's commandments. I'm going to have to try real hard to write this post in love rather than the outrage I'm feeling.
The Law says "restraint!", the gospel says "liberty!"
"The Law shuts the mouth of the very best men, grace opens the mouth of the very worse of men"
Grace delivers us from the Law
The Law is bondage, from which Christ set us free
Grace vs. Works
Grace and Love vs. You Shall and Shall Not
Law and Gospel - Bad News and Good News
Law vs. Faith and Love
Persecution from Legalists, Falling Away from the Faith
Departing from the Faith - turning to Legalism
From Law to Faith
Walking by the Spirit, Not a List of Rules
No Condemnation: Christ has set us free!
Merely skimming these leads one to believe that God's commandments are...
- opposite the liberty of Messiah
- what silences righteous men
- something Messiah delivered us from
- slavery
- opposite of grace
- opposite of love
- nothing but a list of "shall's" and "shall not's"
- bad news
- something that makes you fall away from the faith
- legalism
- abolished
- opposed to faith
- just a bunch of rules
- against the Spirit
Now, I realize some of these things folks aren't really meaning to say, or perhaps are taken out of context. I acknowledge that the folks that posted these things don't actually believe God's commandments are legalism, opposite of love, opposite of grace, etc. At least, I sure hope folks don't believe that. I sure hope we haven't veered off the road that far.
Nonetheless, I'm saddened by seeing folks downplay the importance of God's commandments, something Jesus himself followed, something the apostles followed, something that God created as an eternal, everlasting covenant for His people, which gentiles are now grafted into through Messiah.
Gary, Joel, am I mis-characterizing you guys? Please understand this is what it looks like to the casual observer: "Jesus abolished the Law and we're free in Christ from that slavery; Christ got rid of all that and replaced it with grace and faith." That's what I take away from your posts. Am I misreading this?
Grace is beaten to death by most mainline Christians today. Yeah, we're saved by the unmerited favor of God through the shed blood of his son, but we're also told to live lives worthy of that calling. (Eph. 4) That means we obey his commands and repent.
ReplyDeleteAnother one used too much is "God is love". What about fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell? God does love you, but he will not tolerate disobedience of any kind unless we are washed in the blood of Christ.
Hi Judah,
ReplyDeleteI think you are misreading it. The Law is bad news for those who are not equipped to keep it. Grace is good news because by Grace we are equipped.:0) I didn't think what I read was saying that the Law was evil as I sometimes read in other places...
Pam
Someone said mistakes come in pairs, so that in trying too hard to avoid one we make the other. From my mainline-protestantish perspective, clergy in the US today are working so hard to avoid legalism that they are drifting into antinomianism. They also sing 'Amazing Grace' way too much, and I'm tired of hearing it. I do not know if that is symptomatic, or just my pet peeve.
ReplyDeleteH-dog, I'm glad to see you're still reading this blog. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteGlad you stopped by and posted that, it's encouraging to have some support on this.
Pam, I think you're right; the post wasn't saying the Law was evil.
Still, do you see the negative light God's commandments are being portrayed in? Opposite grace, opposite good news, opposite faith, opposite love. Even if the author isn't *really* saying the Law is evil, by pitting God's commandments against the good things of God -- grace, love, mercy, faith -- it leads one to believe the Law is evil. At least, that's what I'm grabbing from all this.
Sanctimonious, you said,
From my mainline-protestantish perspective, clergy in the US today are working so hard to avoid legalism that they are drifting into antinomianism.
Bingo, I think you nailed it.
That isn't to say all Christians, or all Protestantism are anti-Torah. But some certainly are.
For the record, I don't think Gary (the guy who wrote some of these posts) is anti-Torah.
Well, I can never get enough of "Amazing Grace" :0) but I do know some people really bag on the Law. However, I'm not sure they've really experienced Grace in Jesus Christ either. There are a lot of immature Christians that never grow very much because they don't read their Bibles. That's the biggest problem I see.
ReplyDeletePam
What is funny sometimes is that the same people who say no Law (The instructions of G-d on how to live) get all bent out of shape when the U.S. government wants to take down a set of Ten Commandments from a court building. I want to ask them why are they getting upset, it is null and void, right?
ReplyDeleteA person who says there is no more Law, they are saying the first five books of their Bible are not valid anymore. Just like my Jewish brothers who want me to show them Messiah from the Tanach (Old Testament), this also applies to those who say there is no more Law (G-d's instructions). Show me from the Tanach that the Law (G-d's instructions) are done away with. You might say What!? If you would have told Paul or any of the Disciples in the year 100 A.D. that the Law (G-d's instructions) are done away with, they would have asked you to show them where in the Tanach (Old Testament) does it say this. You have to remember there was no New Testament bounded together as you now have it until after year 300. The only Scriptures these guys new were from the Tanach (Old Testament).
Rick
Rev. 12:17
ReplyDeleteThe dragon was infuriated over the woman and went off to fight the rest of her children, those who obey God’s commands and bear witness to Yeshua.
Rev. 14:12
This is when perseverance is needed on the part of God’s people, those who observe his commands and exercise Yeshua’s faithfulness.
This is interesting, here we have a command keeping and a belief in Yeshua. It says God’s commands. I wonder what commands are being spoken of here?
Rick
Rick,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and posting.
I always find that interesting too, the Christian support of the 10 commandments. I think it's great! But it seems confusing or contradictory given the often negative stance on all 613 commandments. :-)
I was at a Christian bible study over the summer; the view on the 10 commandments was overwhelmingly positive, but the view on the whole Torah was somewhat negative; although most didn't understand the Old Testament and were only parroting what their pastor told them about it. (For example, no one knew what the Levitical priesthood was. The leader of the study didn't know what the Tabernacle was.)
Anyways, we were studying Hebrews, where the author of that book talks about the prophesy in Jeremiah, regarding the new covenant where God writes His law on our hearts. A consensus was reached: God's law was the 10 Commandments.
I was glad to hear they believed "God's law" to be at least part of the Law, and that God has written part of the Law on our hearts.
I didn't want to tear them apart by saying, "But you don't even keep all 10 commandments!", so I kept quiet.
I could also have said, "Well, gee, there are another 603 laws -- what makes you think there's only 10?"
But again, I didn't want to discourage the love of the 10 only to make a point of the whole 613.
Judah, What does it mean to you when G-d says to Jeremiah, "I will put my Torah within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their God, and they will be my people."?
ReplyDeleteWhat is Torah? Did it say a new revised Torah? And does it say we do not have to obey Torah?
Rick
Rick, it obviously means a revised Torah that abolishes the old, obsolete Law! We're free from that bondage!
ReplyDelete(just kidding :-)
In reality, it's clear God's one and only law, the Torah, is spoken of in Jeremiah. Praise God for that!
Ok Judah, But when does this happen, I will put my Torah within them and write it on their hearts?
ReplyDeleteWhat does it mean to have it written on our hearts?
Rick
When does it happen? I don't know. I would say it happens when we accept Messiah and start trying to walk like Messiah. However, I believe it is a process over a lifetime, not something that happens instantly.
ReplyDeleteWhat does it mean? I take it to mean, we will truly grok God's ways -- know them inside out, keep them wholeheartedly -- and practice God's ways inwardly as much as outwardly.
I look at the Pharisees as an example of having the Torah outward only. Yes, they practiced the Law, but only outwardly. So they looked like righteous men, yet Messiah rebuked them as white-washed tombs.
Messiah pointed Torah inwardly by saying even someone who looks at a woman in lust is breaking the Torah in his heart, for example.
To me, "writing Torah on our hearts" means Torah is not to be kept only outwardly, but rather, it applies to both outward actions -- of course! -- but also to your mind -- what you think -- and to your heart, what you desire and what drives you. In other words, living a complete life for God, both inward secretly and outward publicly, walking in his commandments.
What do you think, Rick? What's your take on it?
Very well said Judah. Sometimes I think writing it on our heart means the more we study His Word they more we know it and that it becomes one with us. You know that you know because you study. It is a growth process.
ReplyDeletePaul did tell Timothy to study: 2Tim. 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God,a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
So if you study the Tanach, then his Laws (instructions) will be written on your heart.
The Torah "within them" means that G-d will instill in our hearts to instinctively fulfill the Mitzvot, and "will write it in their hearts" means that we will not forget the Torah, as if it is engraved in the heart.
When we accept Yeshua as Messiah we should then love His Law. It is said: 1John 5:3 For loving God means obeying his commandments. Moreover, his commandments are not burdensome.
Just my two shekels,
Rick
Very good post Judah, I think you've said pretty much everything here, nothing much for me to add - just here to give you kudos! :D
ReplyDeleteCheck out my blogspot blog, I'm gonna put up certain posts from my myspace blog and have some exclusive blog posts only on blogspot. I'm aiming more at Biblical Zionism and events in Israel with my blospot blog.
Do you mean to say that all Christians are libral backsliders who do not follow the law? Because to read your blog one could certainly get that idea. I don't think you mean to say that, rather I think you see a problem that needs to be addressed.
ReplyDeleteA little history is in order here. Societies are cyclic in nature. The Christians you speak of I believe are largely Americans. In the 1950s legalism was rampant in the American Church. Both in Catholic and Protestant denominations. Doing what is right was of paramount importance. There was a strong move away from legalism in the 60s and 70s. This was a good thing, but of course it did not stop there. Now we have too much "liberty" in the American Church. I agree. Demonstrating that by picking out various blog posts is perhaps not the best approach. Continue to point out what scripture says as you have. I appreciate that perspective. Pointing out that my fellow Christians are flawed and often wrong is neither adminable, nor of good repute (Philippians 4:8).
Patrick, I have not said anything negative about these folks, have I?
ReplyDeleteInstead, I've only lamented their downplaying of God's commandments.
If I have spoken ill of these people or mis-characterized them, please show me.
Patrick, legalism and observance of the Torah of God are two different things entirely. Legalism is NOT following Torah. Following Torah is obedience, and it shows we love our God and our Messiah. And it shows we have decided to KEEP our salvation rather than throw it away by continually walking in several different sins FREELY as the Christian church teaches.
ReplyDeleteOne people say they believe in Jesus, they can keep celebrating pagan holidays, eating unkosher/unclean food, disobey and stomp on God's Sabbath (which is the ONLY TRUE Sabbath, it is not on Sunday), and disobey Yeshua in even MORE ways yet - and they will still be saved, right? WRONG!
Whoever keeps walking on the path to salvation will keep the Torah of God, which is the Torah of Yeshua. Whoever continues sinning (which by definition is breaking Torah) has neither seen Yeshua or known him. 1 John 3:4-6
1John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. KJSV
ReplyDelete1John 5:3 For loving God means obeying his commands. Moreover, his commands are not burdensome. CJB version.
When John was writing this, the only Commandments he knew were from the Torah.
Rick