Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Dung

Driving home from church today, I turn on Christian radio and caught the tail end of a program where the hosts were giving their opinions about what they believe is wrong with Christianity. At this point in the program they are focusing on the pagan influences on Christmas and Easter. Of course, their attention centers around things like Christmas trees and rabbits. As one host says, "I don't recall seeing any rabbits mentioned in the Bible." Now, don't get me wrong, I am not one to defend including trees, rabbits or even the name Easter into our most celebrated holidays. I know some Christians have resorted to calling Easter, Resurrection Day, to reflect a more accurate portrayal of what it is we are celebrating. That is fine. However, I don't think their are many Christians, if any, who are worshipping trees, rabbits or the pagan deity Ishtar during these celebrations. But, what amazed me was what the hosts offered as the solution to these problems they have identified. And that was to get back to following the Torah! The Torah? They equated the inclusion of trees and rabbits into our celebrations surrounding the birth and ressurection of Jesus Christ as a form of idol worship. In other words Christians were violating the first commandment where it says, "You should have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3)." Honestly, this is a poor excuse to try and put people back under the Law.

"Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey." Exodus 24: 6-7

The Isrealites eagerly pledged their willingness to obey everything God had commanded them through Moses. The Jewish people are the "apple" of God's eye. God has, in fact, chosen them out of all the nations on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. So, if anybody could obey His commandments it would be them, right?

"When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him." Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." Exodus 32: 1-4

Yet, not too long after saying they would obey God, we see them making their own gods out of gold. They went so far as to say this golden calf had brought them out of Egypt. Not only did they worship this calf they attributed the miracles of God, that they had witnessed first hand, to this golden calf they created themselves. Therefore, if we see the Jews were unable to keep the commandments of God, for even a short time, then why do we think, as Gentiles, we would be any better at keeping them?

"Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!" 2 Corinthians 3: 7-9

The Law that these individuals are so enthusiastic about putting Christians under is a ministry of condemnation. Scripture is clear about the purpose of the Law.

• The Law is for the lost.
• The Law shows man his need for salvation.
• The Law cannot make us righteous.
• The Law cannot justify us.
• The Law cannot give us life.
• The Law's standard is perfection.
• The Law was amplified by Christ.
• The Law stirs up sin.
• The Law is based on man's self-effort.
• The Law is a ministry of condemnation and death.
• Jesus Christ is the end of the Law.
• Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law.
• Christ redeemed us from the Law.
• The Law has been fulfilled in us.
• We are no longer under the Law.
• You cannot mix Law and Grace.

"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship." Hebrews 10:1

A Christian doesn't get closer to God or mature in their faith by becoming more like a Jew! The Law is only a shadow of the realities found in Christ. The purpose of the Law is to lead a lost person to salvation in Christ by showing them their sinfulness and complete inability to live up to the righteous requirements of God. Once an individual accepts Jesus Christ by faith, the indwelling Holy Spirit then leads and guides that person from within for the rest of their lives. And if the Holy Spirit is leading an indivdual then He is not going to lead that person to do anything that would be considered a violation of the Law. Furthermore, although the Jewish people have been highly favored by God, since it is through them that our Savior came into this world, they need salvation just like any other person. Anybody who believes they can please God through obedience to the Law is not familiar with the teachings about righteousness. It is the grace of God that teaches a believer to say no to ungodliness. The Law has no part in a believers life. In fact, scripture tells us that we are dead to the Law.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace... But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law." Galatians 5: 1-4, 18

The radio ministry I was listening to was promoting a fellowship of Messianic Jews in the local area. According to their website they are "a growing community that is centered on Yeshua and his Torah." Translation, they are either not interested in the New Covenant or believe that you can mix the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Whichever the case, they are burdening themselves with a yoke of slavery and have fallen from grace. Although they say their fellowship is "centered" on Jesus, by teaching the Law they are alienating themselves from Christ and He will be of no value to them. As Peter stated in Acts 15:10, when talking to Pharisess dedicated to putting Christians under the law, "why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?" This messianic fellowship may not realize they are doing the same thing to themselves that Apostles, like Peter and Paul, warned the early Church against doing. They realized that their Jewish forefathers could not obey the Law, in its entirety, and that Christians were not obligated to try and obey the Law.

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith..." Philippians 3: 7-9 (KJV)

Perhaps this fellowship of Messianic Jews should take a page from Paul. He counted all his lawkeeping as "dung" compared to knowing Christ. Now, if the Apostle Paul didn't regard his legalistic righteousness as anything special in the eyes of God, then why would a Christian think their attempts at it would be any different? It won't. If one wants to instruct believers to flee from what they deem to be idol worship, you don't do it by putting them back under the Law. The only way to mature in the faith is through dependence on God to lead us into all truth, not through obedience to Law desinged to show us our sinfulness. You can't say you have a ministry centered around Jesus when you are teaching people to observe Laws designed to lead us to Him.