What is the proper balance between true obedience to Him and over-reliance on keeping certain commandments? On the one hand we are saved by grace and belief in His blood, not by “works”. On the other hand, He does say that if we love Him we will keep His commandments. As the world around us collapses we need to become more firmly grounded in a steady, honest and logical approach to understanding the Scriptures. I will try to address some pertinent issues below.
“Salvation” or “Eternal life” with the Almighty requires a belief in His solution for sin and death, evil and hell (none of which He ever intended for humans), based on His Sovereign will: the blood and resurrection of His Anointed Son Jesus of Nazareth (believe in Him regardless of the language you use to name Him), resulting in a spiritual re-birth and thus in obedience to His Spirit and commandments which produces fruit. Simply obeying laws without re-birth is insufficient for salvation. If we have truly received the new birth, and only from Him and not JUST from saying a prayer, then it is our desire to obey and bear fruit.
The seven Noahide laws carnally extrapolated from Genesis 9 and the four principles of Acts 15:29, all for the non-Jewish, plus the 613 Torah commandments given to the Jewish nation, are all examples of keeping rules which in and of themselves do not suffice for salvation.
So what commandments does the Spirit desire that we obey once we have believed in the Son and received the new nature? Here are some ideas.
1. People wonder about mandatory physical circumcision. Scripturally I see no evidence of needing to do this unless you are physically a member of the Jewish nation or a legal convert to Judaism.
2. It is true that Sabbath and the Appointed Times were given to the Jewish nation but as a Creation Calendar or time system that would apply to all believers and in fact all humans. These are days of REST, on Day 7 of the week and then on certain dates throughout the Scriptural year.
We really should embrace REST from Him just as He gave it to Himself after creating for six days. So how do we determine Day 7 and then count out the rest of the year, and what is Scriptural rest? Some say that Day 7 is Saturday from the Roman calendar, typically from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, although some interpret a biblical day as going from sunrise to sunset followed by four “watches” of the night together comprising a 24-hour calendar date (never from midnight to midnight). Some say that Sunday is the day of REST according to the Roman calendar, although the Romans made it quite clear that Sunday is Day 1 and most of the proponents of Sunday Sabbath do not really rest anyway even on that day.
There are many who use New Moon Day each month to then calculate Sabbaths as Days 8, 15, 22 and 29 of each lunar month which makes the Sabbath day change each month on our everyday Roman calendar. The lunar Sabbath folks then also have differing interpretations of when to start counting Day 1–on the day of the dark moon, a day later on the first sliver, or two weeks later at the full moon. This all changes Sabbath and Appointed Time observances, by one day for first sliver and by 14 days in the case of full moon counting.
Maybe these different methods and resulting days are the Father’s way of telling us that Day 7 is really about eternal REST and that we are headed that way anyway as believers. So, for now we should pray for His guidance on what day to REST so as to minimize confusion and strife among the brethren. We are likewise commanded not to judge others for when they observe as per Colossians 2:16.
So back to REST. What is it Scripturally? So many people take a simple concept, which is really His gift to us, and turn it into a problem. Basically, spend the day at home in the Word, doing what brings peace and joy, travel only for Him. You would therefore not be working for a living or making others work or trade in the marketplace. You are,so to speak, “coming out of Babylon” for a day.
Work out your definition and application of so-called “problem verses” such as “kindle no fire” before Him. When it comes to the Passover memorial, another “problem verse” is the one about “removing the leaven” from your house; there is also the discussion of the need to kill a Passover lamb when we already have His blood sacrifice. Resolve it in prayer and with reverence towards Him.
3. Just as you have freedom in Christ Jesus to decide when you rest and observe, so too you have freedom to decide what you eat and drink. At the same time, the Father wants us to be healed and healthy and His original diet for us in Genesis 1:29 was plant-based. He made certain changes to the environment after the flood in particular, including the option of eating certain animals prepared a certain way for better health than we would have by eating the other animals which He created and designed as scavengers and meat-eating predators generally unfit for human consumption and a healthy diet. You may be blessed with good genes or not care, but at least we cannot say that the Father has not warned us about certain foods.
And you may ignore all of His counsel on REST and diet if you wish and simply hide behind insincere arguments about “The Law”, which is a horrible translation of Torah, which means teaching, or what we might now call the Scriptures or Word of God/Yahweh/Elohim.
4. The Jewish nation has been specifically called to witness the Gospel to the other nations, now one with grafted-in Gentile believers. The Jewish nation will be restored for the Seventh Millennium. Israel, the body of all believers, will be back in the land as of the Seventh Millennium. Final Judgment comes at the end of the Seventh Millennium.
5. In all matters of loving, living, giving and service, pray for revelation from the full counsel of Scripture and for the Truth of His Spirit and Teachings. And pray indeed that divisions among brethren regarding the Word itself will be eliminated as soon as possible.
The Journey to Truth 