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By
God’s doing you are in Messiah Yeshua, who became
to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification,
and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). I love
being Jewish. I love the distinct lifestyle that
God has given to His Chosen People, rooted in
the Torah, custom and ancient tradition. I encourage
other Messianic Jews to embrace this distinctly
Jewish lifestyle. But, I am deeply concerned about
those who pressure my Gentile Christian brothers
to live like us. Their faulty thinking goes something
like this:
Bad
teaching: Christianity has been mixed
with paganism.
Rabbi
Loren’s response: I do not believe
that practicing Christians are practicing paganism.
Well, they may be - if they are praying to Mary
and the saints, praying to statues and icons,
believing that they are eating the literal body
and blood of Christ, or eating the blood of animals
(blood sausage, blood soup). Nor do I believe
that celebrating Christmas, having a Christmas
tree, rejoicing in the resurrection of Messiah
on Easter (and calling it Easter), or worshiping
on Sunday, is participating in paganism.
Bad
teaching: Christianity has many non-Biblical
traditions.
Rabbi
Loren’s response: True, but customs and
traditions, in and of themselves, are not necessarily
evil. Some, in fact, are very good!
Bad
teaching: The Jewish people are the Chosen
People. Therefore living a Jewish lifestyle is
superior - it’s more Biblical, it’s purer, it’s
filled with more blessings, than those who live
normal Christian life.
Rabbi
Loren’s response: As Christians draw
closer to Messiah, they are holy, complete and
righteous. Rabbi Paul, specifically communicating
to Gentile Believers writes: “In Him (Yeshua)
all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
and in Him you have been made complete
... in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision
made without hands, in the removal of the body
of the flesh by the circumcision of Messiah ...
He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven
us all our transgressions ... Therefore no one
is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink
or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a
Sabbath day things which are a mere shadow of
what is to come; but the substance belongs to
Messiah” (Colossians 2:9-17).
You mean
a Gentile who is joined to the Jewish Messiah,
by having placed his faith in Him, has been made
100% complete? He doesn’t lack anything? That’s
exactly what it means! God considers him spiritually
circumcised and therefore a full participant in
the New Covenant. He is full of spiritual life,
and all his sins have been forgiven. He has freedom
about what he eats and drinks, and whether or
not to celebrate the Jewish holidays and the Sabbath.
They are, after all, only shadows, and he is joined
to the Reality, which is greater than the shadows.
But he
does have the freedom to celebrate the Sabbath,
and observe the holidays and keep kosher if he
chooses. If a Christian wants to observe a Biblical
holiday or custom, there is freedom to do so,
but there is no obligation. If a Christian says,
"I know that Messiah is my Passover and I don't
need to celebrate a Passover Seder” that’s fine.
If another says, "I want to celebrate the Passover
because it helps me draw nearer to my wonderful
Jewish Messiah, my Passover Lamb” that's fine
too! If a Christian says, “I know that Yeshua
is my Sabbath, and gives me rest, but I want to
worship God on Sunday, as Christians have done
for centuries,” that’s OK too! Nor should our
focus be food since “the Kingdom of God is
not eating and drinking, but righteousness and
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans
14:17).
Even though
this great Jewish ambassador to the Gentiles himself
kept kosher, Paul understood that what Christians
eat and drink is not what is essential; what
is far more important, and what God is really
concerned about is that human beings be in right
relationship with Him, have peace with Him and
the happiness that only His indwelling Spirit
can give. Rabbi Paul wrote to the Philippians,
“We are the true circumcision, who worship
in the Spirit of God and glory in Messiah Yeshua
and put no confidence in the flesh, although I
myself might have confidence even in the flesh.
If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in
the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth
day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of
Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Torah,
a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of God’s
Holy Community - the church; as to the righteousness
which is in the Torah, found blameless. But whatever
things were gain to me, those things I have counted
as loss for the sake of Messiah.”
You actually
mean, Rabbi Paul, that your extensive Jewish upbringing
didn’t really profit you when it came to what
is most important - restoring a right relationship
with God, obtaining salvation, gaining eternal
life?
That’s
right! Paul went on to write, “More than that,
I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing
value of knowing Messiah Yeshua my Lord, for whom
I have suffered the loss of all things, and count
them but rubbish so that I may gain Messiah.”
Paul,
do you really mean that Messiah is like the pearl
of great price, and you are willing to sell everything
else in order to gain Him? Nothing in your life
is to be compared to having Him?
That’s
right! And that I may be found in Him, not
having a righteousness of my own derived from
the Torah, but that which is through faith in
Messiah, the righteousness which comes from God
on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and
the power of His resurrection and the fellowship
of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
(that’s sanctification - that’s holiness, that’s
our walk, that’s our priority, that’s our focus!)
in order that I may attain to the resurrection
from the dead” (Philippians 3:3-11).
So Paul,
are you saying that what is essential is to personally
and intimately know the Messiah, and be joined
to Him, thereby having true righteousness, and
to be willing to suffer for Him, and have power
to live a good life for Him, so that I will live
forever with Him?
That’s
right! That’s what is really important! Paul expressed
a similar thought when writing to the Galatians:
“For in Messiah Yeshua neither circumcision
nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working
through love” (Galatians 5:6).
Did I
read that correctly, Rabbi Paul? Neither circumcision
nor lack of circumcision (understood to mean being
Jewish and living a Jewish lifestyle; or uncircumcision
- being a Gentile, and not living a uniquely Jewish
lifestyle), when compared to having faith, mean
anything, because millions of Jews and billions
of Gentiles have sinned and are going to Hell?
That’s
right! What means everything and must be our priority,
is having faith in God and Messiah; and faith
shows that it is genuine by being faithful to
God and Messiah, and loving other human beings.
Likewise,
Rabbi Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Was any
man called when he was already circumcised? He
is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been
called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised.
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is
nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the
commandments of God. Let each man remain in that
condition in which he was called” (1 Corinthians
7:18-20). Paul, do you mean that when Jewish people
are saved, they should continue to live a distinctly
Jewish lifestyle, maintain their Jewish identity,
pass it on to their children, and not assimilate
into Gentile society?
That’s
right! And similarly, when God saves Gentiles,
they don’t need to become circumcised. They don’t
need to become Jews, or live a Jewish lifestyle:
only that they should desist from those practices
inherent in their particular culture that are
truly wrong.
Each of
us needs to understand that God specifically
ordained the distinct circumstances of our life,
including our ancestry and nationhood. God
does not want Gentiles to become Jews, nor Jews
to become Gentiles. African-Americans remain African-American;
Asians remain Asian, Europeans remain European,
and Jews remain Jews part of their people, and
part of their culture. Jews and Gentiles are free
to maintain their distinct identities, since both
are full and equal members of Messiah’s Holy Community.
Since
the coming of the Son of God and the institution
of the New Covenant, being Jewish, and living
a distinctly Jewish lifestyle means nothing -
and being a Gentile and not living a Jewish lifestyle
- means nothing. What is more important than
our distinct ethnic identities is keeping the
commandments of God. But what commandments?
All 613 found in the Torah? All of us are to observe
God’s commandments, however, not all 613 commandments
apply to everybody.
For example,
there are laws in the Torah that only apply to
priests. For example, the High Priest couldn’t
marry a divorced woman or a widow, whereas a regular
Israeli could. There are laws that only apply
to the king (like writing his own copy of the
Torah). There are laws that apply to men and not
to women, and vice-versa. Most of the laws directly
apply to the Jewish people, but not the Gentiles.
The Messianic Jews of the First Century understood
that all of us are to “fulfill the Law,” but the
requirements of the Law are different for Jews
and Gentiles. Messianic Jews continued in their
relationship to the Torah (and most were zealous
for the Torah) but all that was required for our
Gentile brothers, aside from genuine faith in
God and love for Messiah, were four requirements
found in Acts 15:19-20, along with obedience to
the Moral Law that God has written on all men’s
hearts (such as not murdering, not stealing, and
not committing adultery). Anything beyond these
requirements is optional, and a matter of personal
freedom.
Knowing
Messiah and being connected to Him is so crucial
that Paul declared to the Corinthians, “I determined
to know nothing among you except Messiah Yeshua,
and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Really,
Paul? You made up your mind to exclusively focus
on Messiah, and in particular to focus on Yeshua’s
death? That’s more important than everything else?
Is knowing Yeshua, and His death and resurrection,
sufficient? If we know Him, and have Him, we are
hitting the mark?
That’s
right! Isn’t Messiah the Creator of the universe
- the One through whom God made the world, our
sun, moon and planets, this galaxy and all the
millions of other galaxies?
Isn’t
He the Sustainer of the universe, who upholds
the entire universe, every molecule, every atom,
and every subatomic particle, with His great power?
Isn’t He the Final Goal of the universe - the
Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning
and the End? Hasn’t it been decreed that one day
everything that exists will perfectly submit to
His lordship? Will He not rule over all in perfect
peace and harmony?
Isn’t
He El Gibor - the Mighty God, and Immanu-El -
God with us, the fullness of God in a human body,
the Word made flesh, the very image of the invisible
God?
Is He
not the exact representation of God’s nature,
who shares the same name and nature, being, character
and essence as God the Father; the Lord of Glory,
who came as a servant, and yet is the King of
Kings and Lord of Lords?
Isn’t
He the Messiah, the Anointed Ruler sent to save
us, the ultimate King of David's line who is destined
to rule with perfect justice over Israel and the
nations, the Bringer of the New and Eternal Covenant
that will bless all the families of the Earth?
Isn’t
He our Prophet, our Priest and our King, fulfilling
all three offices in one Person; the King greater
than David, the prophet greater than Moses, the
Priest greater than Aaron?
Isn’t
Yeshua our Chief Rabbi, our Supreme Teacher who
guides us into all truth? Our Wonderful Counselor
who will give miraculous advice, unfailing in
the depths of its wisdom, to everyone who asks
Him for it?
Isn’t
He the true Torah, the Living embodiment of the
Word of God? Isn’t He the Judge of the Living
and the Dead, who will judge mankind, so that
every human being may honor Him even as they honor
God the Father?
Isn’t
He Jacob’s Ladder that connects Earth and Heaven,
the one and only Mediator between God and Man,
our High Priest, who offers sacrifice for us,
who atones for us, who reconciles us to God, who
continues to intercede for us, who even now prays
for us, and forever saves us because of His eternal
life?
Isn’t
He our Final Sacrifice, acceptable to God, enabling
us to be reconciled to the Creator from whom the
whole world is estranged?
Isn’t
He our sin offering that atones for us, our burnt
offering that enables us to be dedicated to God,
the peace offering that brings us wholeness, completeness,
well-being and peace with God?
Isn’t
He our Sabbath, who brings true rest to the weary
human soul? Isn’t He our Passover Lamb, enabling
God to pass-over our sins, saving us from our
Egypts of sin and death?
Isn’t
He our Matzah - the Unleavened Bread, our Sinless
One, who was victorious over sin and who can break
the cycle of sin transmitted from generation to
generation?
Isn’t
He our Firstfruits, the First One to be raised
from the dead, thereby giving hope that all who
believe in Him will likewise be raised from the
dead?
Isn’t
He our Yom Kippur Scape-Goat, who brings perfect
and final atonement?
Isn’t
He our Sukkah, who enables the harvest of humanity
to dwell with God?
Isn’t
He the true Temple in which God dwells? Isn’t
He the Holy Ark, in which the Word of God dwelt,
over which the presence of God hovered?
Isn’t
He our Bronze Altar which atones for us, our Washbasin
which cleanses us so we can serve God, our Golden
Menorah which sheds the true light on us, our
Bread of the Presence which feeds us, our Golden
Altar that enables our prayers and praises to
ascend and be accepted by God?
Isn’t
He the Rock that was smitten, providing us with
the living water of everlasting life, so that
our thirst for God, for life, for meaning, is
quenched?
Isn’t
He the Bread of Life that came down out of Heaven,
that gives life to the world, infinitely better
than the manna that our fathers ate in the wilderness,
since they died?
Isn’t
He the Wine that gives us joy? Isn’t He the Star
that arises from Jacob, and the Bright Morning
Star, and the Sunrise from on High, and the Light
of the World, shining the light of Heaven to those
living in darkness on Earth?
Isn’t
He the Branch that brings forth the fruit of everlasting
bliss, so that believing in Him is like eating
from the Tree of Life?
Isn’t
He the Stone that the builders rejected, but the
Stone that God set firmly in place to be the foundation
of all that God is building; the cornerstone which
will support our lives eternally?
Isn’t
He the Resurrection and the Life, so that if we
join ourselves to Him, we can be raised from death,
and live forever?
Isn’t
He the True Vine in whom we must abide if we are
to be connected to God, and produce any lasting
results?
Isn’t
He the Door that opens the entrance to the New
Jerusalem?
Since
we are lost, isn’t He the Way that leads us to
God?
Since
we are surrounded by lies, isn’t He the Truth
that sets us free from confusion, ignorance and
evil? Since we are alienated from God who is our
Source,
isn’t
He the Life that enables us to live forever?
Doesn’t
Messiah Yeshua fill everything in every way? Isn’t
He the answer to all of God’s promises? Doesn’t
all this help us better understand why Paul would
write, “I determined to know nothing among
you except Messiah Yeshua, and Him crucified”?
But if I am a Gentile, won’t I be holier and more
blessed if I observe more Jewish laws, holidays,
customs or traditions? I don’t know; you may,
or you may not be. But I do know that they
contain nothing essential to experience the blessings
of God! In Messiah you have been made complete.
Every spiritual blessing in Heaven is yours!
If you
belong to Messiah, then you are Abraham's descendants,
heirs according to promise. You have been grafted
into Israel’s Olive Tree of Salvation and Blessing.
You have been reconciled to the God of Israel.
You have a new and equal access to the God of
Israel. Because of Yeshua, God is your Heavenly
Father. You are a fellow citizen with the Messianic
Jews and the Jewish saints who lived before the
Son of God came to Earth, and will live forever
with us in the New Jerusalem. You are a full heir
of the Kingdom of God. Gentiles who join themselves
to Israel’s Messiah and who live a normal Christian
life are in no way inferior to Messianic Jews.
They are not second class citizens, nor should
they be regarded as such.
Remember,
by God’s doing you are in Messiah Yeshua, who
became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness
and sanctification, and redemption. Messiah
is our wisdom: as we understand Yeshua we learn
how to do those things that please God. Messiah
is our righteousness: as we look to Yeshua, we
become righteous in God’s eyes - and we want to
do the right things, and then have the power to
do them. Messiah is our redemption: as we draw
near to Yeshua, we are delivered from the slave
market of sin and death, saved from the evil in
this world, delivered from Hell and the dominion
of Satan. Messiah is our sanctification: as we
put our trust in Him, we are declared holy. God
will be at work in our lives, cleansing us from
our sins, restraining us from evil, making us
holy like He is holy. It is Messiah in you which
is your hope of glory! In Messiah are hidden all
the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. We have
been crucified with Messiah, buried with Messiah,
and we will be raised with Messiah, victorious
through Messiah, alive to God through Messiah,
persecuted along with Messiah. We will live forever
because of Messiah, and rule and reign with Messiah!
Your life is hidden with Messiah in God! So, rather
than focusing on yourself, keep your eyes fixed
on Yeshua, the Author and Perfecter of faith!
Focus on Him; concentrate on Him; let Him have
first place in everything - in your heart, soul
and mind, in your studies and meditations, in
your evangelism and ministry, in your life and
identity!
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