Recently, I have seen many believers seemingly returning to following the Old Testament Laws. If that is part of your culture or Heritage as a believer in Christ, that's between you and God, but if it's a way to appease God, then there's an issue! The entire books of Romans and Galatians are literally about this subject! I prayed on it, as it troubled me in my spirit (And apparently, I was informed, there is a large movement from popular Christian leaders and personalities to do this), and the Lord brought to my mind ships blown about by strong winds, and tossed about by waves because they have no anchor. When I was a younger minister, I did the same thing...and I had godly men and a mentor who corrected me and brought me back to Scriptures. Where does this come from, and why do these strong winds in pop-culture Christianity blow so many about? It's because we lack the anchor of knowing God through His word. Many of the Laws and traditions were great. The Laws and traditions of the Old Testament were ordained by God, but they served one purpose, the same purpose Jesus fulfilled: to point us back to our need for Him. Many of us stumble and fall in to this trap with great intention. It SOUNDS biblical, but it's actually a trap. Consider the words of Paul to the church in Galatia...who was struggling with THIS EXACT SAME THING:
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? (Galatians 3:1-6)
I hope you see Paul, not merely a Jew born under the law himself, but a Pharisee, no less! He's not telling us to forsake the scriptures, but he IS reinforcing that it is FAITH not the works of the law that save us. Abraham Believed God, and it was counted to Him as Righteousness. These words from Genesis 15:6 resonate through the entirety of Scripture. What does it mean? God spoke, and Abraham took Him at His divine word. Abraham did what God said because God said to do it. He wasn't obligated to signs, and laws, feasts, and the like! Before He was circumcised, Abraham merely trusted that God said it, so it would be. This is the Faith we're all called to! It's not by works, it's not by observing the Law, but by trusting in Jesus that we are saved. By taking Him at His Holy Word, and doing as He says. But we need to stand firm upon the foundation of Scripture, or we're bound to be tossed about and blown in every direction by whatever wind or wave is strongest.
Galatians 3:7-9
Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
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