Christian or Jew?

Are you a Jew?

Is it okay for Christians to eat pork? Should you be sacrificing animals on a holy alter? What am I talking about?

The Division of the Covenants.

Why are we not bound to the Old Testament Law? Why do we even have it today? There are about 600 laws in the old law. Seriously, Leviticus is ridiculous! It’s also a very different testament then what we know today. 

“Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth…” Exodus 21:24.

 

“He shall bring the bull to the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and kill the bull before the Lord.” Leviticus 4:4

So what changed?

Jesus.  

  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

The Old Law

So what was the purpose of the Old Law?  Why didn’t Jesus just come first? Paul lets us know in Galatians!

 “What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.” Galatians 3:19

 

*So the Old Law was made because sin was in the world and we needed to know what was right and what was wrong. It was to be there until Jesus came at the right time, which was decided before the world was even created.

“Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.” Galatians 3:21

*The Law was a teacher and did not give eternal life like Jesus does. That was not its purpose.

“But before the faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefor the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Galatians 3:24

*The entire Old Testament points toward the coming Christ; it is all about CHRIST. The Laws themselves taught people about the nature of God and what was transgression against his law.

Jesus Purpose

So the Law was a stepping stone to Christ. During His life, he lived under the Old Law and he did so perfectly (Wow!!!). Once His blood was spilt and His life was over, the perfect sacrifice was made to wipe out sin forever! No longer do we have to sacrifice a bull every year to erase our sins, just to have them come back next year.

“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 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 2:13-14

Jesus’ sacrifice has finished the Old Covenant and has established a New Covenant. Hebrews 10:1-10 does a great job of explaining. 

“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. ² For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. ³ But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. ⁴ For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

⁵ Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:

“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
⁶ In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
⁷ Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.’”

⁸ Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), ⁹ then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. ¹⁰ By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

This concept of separating the Old Testament and the New Testament is essential for understanding things like correct worship and salvation. Examples and stories from the Old Testament cannot be used to justify doctrine used in the New Testament Church. You can however, use stories to illustrate principles taught in the New Testament; a lot transfers over. My blog about Samuel and Hannah, for instance, is a good example of the principle of faith that I needed to learn.

 God has established with us a NEW covenant through the sacrifice of Christ and it is the greatest blessing the world has ever known! It is now our responsibility to hold up our end of the bargain by following His law and living for Him.