— Critical issues concerning the Church —

Fellow Soldier,

It is a serious error for Christians to think they gain divine favor by practicing components of the Old Covenant.  As in the early church, today’s “Hebrew Roots” Judaizers deceive Christ’s followers into believing the New Covenant requires “keeping Torah” (sabbaths, feasts, holy days, shawls, etc.).  Effectually, they promote a dual faith, with Christian-normal being something less than “Messianic.”

The apostle Paul warns born-again Gentiles and Jews against those who teach that circumcision (or such) is required for salvation, covenant blessings or spiritual advancement.  He calls them "dogs," an ironic use of a Jewish term for Gentiles.  It’s nothing short of sinful folly for Christians to embrace Judaistic practices or jargon as means to godly grace or spiritual growth.

“Messianics”... whaa?

Does Scripture support Christians “keeping Torah”?

(Part 6 of 7)

“Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh  ...  I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” (Php 3:2,38b,9)

“... Christ has set us free.  ... 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 by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.  The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Gal 5:1-6)

When Jesus died for our sin,

He fulfilled the Law and launched a new form of government that superceded Israel’s Judaism; one that also includes Gentiles.  Rather than featuring the Law and a priesthood caste, it offers grace and ordains all believers as priests; Jesus Himself, being its High Priest. "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. ... But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. ... We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man" (1Pet 2:5,9; Heb 8:1a,2).  This New Covenant is the spiritual counterpart of Levitical government and excludes all other forms.  By it, ALL mankind is offered salvation and sanctification through sin-repentance, faith in the atoning blood of Jesus and work of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38,39; Php 2:12,13; Heb 5:9,10).  Foreseeing great danger in regressing to Judaism or any other religious admixture, Paul strongly warns the Church.

By rejecting Jesus, Jews unknowingly also impeded God’s plan for their nation.  Paul notes: “I bear [my fellow Jews] witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom 10:2-4 NKJV).  By not realizing that, beginning with them, God had a global family in mind, they put themselves at odds with His purposes.  They wanted to limit a covenant relationship with God to Jews only.  Clinging to the special status of covenant-bearer might be likened to a delivery man imagining all the packages in his truck were addressed to himself.

Romans 3:21-26 comes into view when Paul declares that Israel “did not submit to the righteousness of God.” He explains that “the righteousness of God” was revealed in the gospel of Christ; making clear there’s but one way of salvation for Jew and Gentile alike.  Paul understood the key reason Jews rejected Jesus and New Covenant: they realized that acceptance meant giving up their unique relationship with God, plus power and prestige.  Thus, Judaism’s focus remains on Abraham’s physical heirs rather than Jesus as the Seed of Abraham (Gal 3:16-19).  However, prophetically, Israel’s day of awakening is on the horizon.  "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (Rom 11:26).  Ironically, the New (and better) Covenant was inaugurated by their promised Messiah at the Last Supper, which, within mere hours, was sealed by His sinless blood at Golgotha (Mt 26:26-29).

Using Genesis 15 and other scriptures, Paul demonstrates that Israel’s destiny is in Christ and the New Covenant.  But, out of self-righteousness, she rejected both because they also challenged her pursuit of national, ethnic and territorial identity.  Paul thus declares she is in danger of making herself a nation like all the others.  Just as blood and idolatry characterized pagan nations, Israel was similarly using circumcision and Torah.  Her circumcision had thus become as mere pagan-style mutilation (Php 3:2) and Torah-keeping, a pagan-like allegiance to things or "beings that are not gods" (Gal 4:8).  Therefore, Israel’s entire religious system was condemned as being driven by the Adamic nature (Rom 5:20a; 7:7-11).  When Paul uses a play on words to make the point [as with mutilation (katatome) for circumcision (peritome)] in Philippians 3:2, it’s not angry invective.  He is deeply troubled.  It’s as though they switched from the University of Grace, to the Kindergarten of Law.

Christians Embracing Judaism

Regarding those who direct Christians toward Messianic groups, Baruch Maoz (a born-again Jew) feels Paul’s choice of words to the Galatians is so strong, he quotes only portions.  “For a Christian to become a Jew is to desert Jesus for a different Gospel (Gal 1:6) which is really no Gospel at all (1:7).  It’s to not be straightforward about the truth (2:14) to make Jesus a minister of sin (2:17) to act foolishly (3:3) to be severed from Jesus (5:4) and to have fallen from grace (5:4).”  Reversion to Judaism isn’t an option for a true (born-again) follower of Jesus.  One’s love for and devotion to God; their gratitude for salvation at so great a price, should prevent that thought from even entering the mind.  Scan Peter’s letters; there’s not the slightest hint Gentiles may or could in any way be advantaged by becoming Jewish or Torah keeping Torah.  There’s nothing Jewish in them.  Only God’s grace in Jesus.

Paul reminds the Ephesian church that Jesus Christ “... broke down the barrier of the dividing wall by abolishing in his flesh the enmity, the Law of commandments in ordinances” (Eph 2:15).  Jews accepting the truth about Jesus today, as in Paul’s time, realize that Israel’s spiritual destiny is in Jesus, their Messiah.  They become CHRISTIANS! ... one in Christ, along with Gentiles.  "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us" (Eph 2:14).  It’s therefore no more acceptable to add Levitical forms to the gospel today, than for Judaizers back then.  Doing so connotes a bi-level Christianity: the higher for Jews, who supposedly gain New Covenant salvation through Christ Jesus but retain their Old Testament distinctives.  The lower, made up of ordinary born-agains.  Sadly, this unbiblical view focuses on Torah, physical descendants of Abraham and Old Testament ritual, rather than the New Covenant at which core is Christ; His atoning, gracious unifying and finished redemptive work.  Beware!

The Old is vital for its ensamples and to prepare us for the New.  However what demands today’s attention is Jesus and the spiritual truths revealed in the New and better Covenant.  "And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel" (Heb 12:24).  As intriguing as the Torah truly is, devotion to its ways or rituals that detracts from Christian faith and Christ alone, is a dangerous Galatian dalliance from grace.  Looking to Mosaic methods, Levitical rules or Hebraic verbiage in the context of salvation, righteousness or spiritual growth — is legalistic heresy and leads to bondage.  Those graces are to be found only in Christ and the New Covenant.

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ.  He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.  Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.  These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” (Col 2:13-19)

It’s instructive to study the feasts, temple design, its furnishings, priesthood, workings, etc.  However, Scripture makes clear that for Christians to showcase or practice any of it, insults the Cross of Christ.  Frankly, it would be more fitting for the Church to invite “Messianics” to observe a New Covenant feast (Lord’s Table) then for born-agains to sit down to one set by another religion.  Hebrew-Roots-Judaizers and “Messianic-Jews” might insist on Torah keeping and titles, but God says: the only way to make spiritual progress is by faith in Christ ALONE.  Oh; also, the Bible tells us there are but three species of unhyphenated human beings: Jews, Gentiles and Christians.

In comparing legalism to grace, Warren Wiersbe notes: “The believer who lives in the sphere of God’s grace is free, rich and running in the lane that leads to reward and fulfillment.  The believer who abandons grace for Law, is a slave, a pauper, and a runner on a detour.  In short, he is a loser.  The only way to be a winner is to ‘purge out the leaven’ (false doctrine that mixes Law with grace) then yield to the Spirit of God.  God’s grace is sufficient for every demand of life.  We are saved by His grace (Eph 2:8-10) and we serve by grace (1Cor 15:9,10).  Grace enables us to endure suffering (2Cor 12:9).  It is grace that strengthens us (2Tim 2:1) so that we can be victorious soldiers.  Our God is the God of all grace (1Pet: 5:10).  We can come to His throne of grace and find grace to help in every need (Heb 4:16).”  Very direct, but first century Ignatius of Antioch was even more blunt in his letter to the Magnesians: “Never allow yourselves to be led astray by false teachings and antiquated and useless fables.  Nothing of any use can be got from them.  If we are still living in the practice of Judaism, it is an admission that we have failed to receive the gift of grace.  To profess Jesus Christ while continuing to follow Jewish customs is an absurdity.  Let us learn to live like Christians.  To profess any other name but that — is to be lost to God.  For where there is Christianity, there cannot be Judaism.”  Could it be said any clearer or more scripturally?

Now, pleeease, do not construe any of this as anti-Israel or against Jews; which and whom we truly love.  The Church is inseparably linked to both and we have been passionate towards them for over three decades.  This issue isn’t political or ethnic, but covenantal.  God requires Christians to live (without admixture) within the governmental form He has provided for this Church era.  However, the enemy of our soul does all in his power to deceive, distort, divide and destroy.  We must be vigilant and good Bereans by always comparing what is taught, to God’s Word (Acts 17:11).  Remember also, the Bible itself is scripture’s most accurate and ultimate arbiter.

— Articles in this series —

Part-2 — Our Hebrew Roots —Without roots there can be no fruit.
Part-3 — Jews, Gentiles and The Church — God divided mankind into distinctive groups.
Part-4 — Judaizing The Church — Today’s Pharisees are at work to seduce you.
Part-5 — Judaism's Lubavitchers — They aim to teach all Gentiles their Noahide Laws.
Part-7 — Messianic Christianity — A syncratic religion.
Part-1 — God Loves Israel ... and what God loves, true Christians also love.

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