Beware of Judaizers!
Those who would subvert the grace of God by drawing you away into Judaism or to adherence to the Old Testament law.
I saw my friend, Jay Jones, post this on Facebook. It’s worth your time to be prepared when you encounter this.
(Warning: Long Post Alert! If you've had people try to persuade you toward keeping Old Testament laws and only using Hebrew names for God/Jesus, this post will be informative and helpful.)
Dear Christian friends, beware of Judaizers... those who would subvert the grace of God by drawing you away into Judaism or to adherence to the Old Testament law.
Paul was very adamant that Gentiles (non-Jews), were not bound by the law, and scolded Peter for demanding that they would.
He said, "Why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? ... Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
Paul went so far as to open his entire epistle to the Galatian church by warning against those who "would pervert the gospel of Christ" (Gal. 1:7).
He called the perversion of the Grace of Christ with the Law, "another gospel", and gave a distinct warning against them saying, "though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
Paul said in Galatians 2:7 that the "gospel of the uncircumcision" was given to him to preach to the Gentiles, while the "gospel of the circumcision" was given to Peter to preach to the Jews.
Paul also withstood Peter to his face for being duplicitous regarding the grace given to the Gentiles, and said, "If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?"
It is one thing to understand the Old Testament, the Law, and the commandments to the Jews, and to apply those principles to godly living, but it is another thing entirely to demand that any gentile under the Law of Christ adhere to the letter of the law.
Doing so is "frustrating the grace of God"; as Paul said in Gal. 2:21, "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
Some would say, "even Paul observed the Law, the Jewish customs and the Jewish celebrations.”
Yes, he did. And here is his reasoning in 1 Corinthians 9, "19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law."
He only adhered to the Law to win the Jews.
He says very specifically that he is not "under the law". He clarifies this in the following verses...
"21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."
We can see that Paul wasn't saying he was lawless, but rather that he was under "Christ's law". He said in Romans 3:22, "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe." The law of God is fulfilled in the law of Christ, which is a law written in our hearts, not on tablets of stone, or legal documents.
Romans 2:14-16 "...For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another."
Love the Word of God and study it. Love the Law and understand it. Let the principles of the Law be a guide to your Christian living. But do not be drawn away into Judaism.
No man will be justified by the law, but by grace through faith in Christ (Romans 3:19-24).
Galatians 2:16 says it like this, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
Live your life holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Be saved according to the mercy of Christ through the regeneration of water baptism, and spiritually renewed through the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Regularly approach the throne of grace in a spirit of repentance and allow God's forgiveness to cleanse you regularly.
Learn to have patience in trials and wisdom to endure.
Learn to live above sin in your life through the law written on your heart.
Do these things, Christian friend, and you will lead a life pleasing to God.
Further, there is nothing wrong in calling God, "God", or calling Jesus, "Jesus". If you are a Jew, and speak Hebrew, feel free to use the Hebrew name Yah for God, or Yeshua for Jesus. But there is no error in calling Him by his name in your own language. This is not "replacement theology", but rather languages given by God.
I have much more to share, but this is enough for now.
End of Post.
I want to put an exclamation point on this with the following points.
The List of things that were fulfilled in Jesus are no longer part of the New Testament Covenant. These changes were very hard for the Jewish believers in Jesus, because it was such a departure. Every Apostle was a Jewish man.
Circumcision was replaced by Baptism into Jesus Christ.
Blood Sacrifices for the Remission of Sins was replaced by Baptism into Jesus Christ. Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16
The Dietary Laws, as demonstrated in Acts 10 and the vision given to Peter.
Observance of Holy Days, New Moons, Sabbaths were a shadow of what would be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
If you need scriptures to comprehend how complete the fulfillment Jesus wrought in the Law, here is a good portion to meditate on.
Colossians 2:6-17
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him:
7 Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power:
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
I believe there is an awakening taking place... beautiful article once again.