Ceremony, Communion and the Sabbath
The Old Testament required God's priests to observe many ritual practices. All of these things pointed to the sacrifical work of Jesus. Jesus fulfilled all these symbols of the Law of God.
But within Christianity many symbolic observances are still practiced. Water baptism as an "outward symbolism of an inward reality" is a chief example along with consuming physical communion bread and wine, foot washing, the wearing of special robes and the keeping of special days. Should we be doing such things when Christ came and obtained for us "a new and living way?" And what of the symbols of the Old Testament. Have they just disappeared and become irrelevant or have they been transformed into spiritual realities?
This is important information for anyone who desires the freedom and liberty that Jesus promised us.
Spiritual Light
Spiritual Light is the result of four visitations from the Lord over a period of 4 years.
Starting with a discussion of the 3rd commandment, marriage and "taking the name of the Lord" and then wonderful insight into Christ's sacrifice this book reveals desperately needed understanding that dispels the confusion about conversion, baptism, salvation and works. This book is available on-line and at cost price from our eBay store
. Check out the eBay store for other good gospel materials and music.Thought for Today
Jun. 20
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS
The Old Testament was a covenant of symbols and ceremonies. The New Testament is a covenant of spirit and life. Jesus instituted no symbolic ceremonies; instead, he brought us life. The ceremonies of Moses' Law, the things Paul called "works of the Law", prefigured the work and glory of Jesus, and when he came, he replaced, or "fulfilled" them all. By fulfilling the Law, Jesus made us free from the works of the law to walk with him in spirit and in truth.
Being a covenant of ceremonies, the Old Covenant was principally carried out in the flesh. The worshipers of God had to be "in the flesh" in order to worship God at all. The feasts were feasts that fed the flesh, for worshipers at the feasts of the Lord ate natural food and drank natural drink. The weekly Sabbaths were days of rest for the flesh, including rest for the weary flesh of the farm animals of Israel (Ex. 20:10). The sacrifices were sacrifices of the flesh and blood from animals. The priests' robes for conducting worship were a covering for their flesh. The circumcision of the Old Testament was a circumcision of the flesh. The only acceptable place of worship was an earthly building, a temple built by men in the flesh, where men in the flesh could conduct the required ceremonies, burning earthly incense, lighting earthly candles, and eating earthly, symbolic bread on the Sabbath days.
In the Old Testament, the flesh, or what Paul called the "old man", got everything. The "inward man" was left in his original, fallen condition. In this New Testament, the "outward man", the flesh, gets nothing, and the inward man is redeemed. Now, the food for the feasts of the saints is invisible manna from heaven, consumed only by the soul. The true Sabbath is rest for the spirits of men in the holy Ghost. The sacrifices of the New Testament are the praises of our lips, and the appropriate garment for worship now is the righteousness of the saints. The acceptable place of worship is in the heart, offered in spirit and in truth, a place where prayers are incense and the light of God is a shining lamp for the mind. The circumcision God requires now is circumcision of the heart by the Spirit of God (Rom. 2:28-29), and both men and women can submit to it.
The outward man is cursed to die. These fleshly bodies must wax old and decay. "But though our outward man perish", wrote Paul of this New Covenant, "the inward man is renewed day by day." Praise God! Those in Christ never grow old, though their natural bodies do. But God has new bodies in heaven "reserved for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." Jesus said that, in reality, those who believe in him will never really die (Jn. 11:25-26). In other words, it is irrelevant what happens to these natural, fleshly bodies, as long as we ourselves live on in peace and joy.
Worship in ceremony and symbols is useless now. Jesus came to make available a "new and living way" of worship and of living. Trusting Jesus means to trust him to do for us all that we need done in order for our souls to be pure and acceptable to God. For one example, in this New Covenant of spirit and truth, water baptism is not a symbol of any inner faith in Jesus. Rather, it is a symbol of a lack of faith in Jesus as being sufficient to make us acceptable to God. Jesus' baptism of the holy Ghost is all the baptism that anyone needs to be acceptable to God and live forever with Him.
Prove your faith in Jesus by resisting the pressure of ignorant, over-religious men who tell you that Jesus is good, but that to really please God, you must also submit to their fleshly worship: forms of fleshly, water baptism, forms of fleshly communion ceremonies, "holy days", ornate garments and flowing robes for worshiping God, etc. We prove our faith in Jesus by trusting him alone to give us all that we need to be acceptable to God, not by continuing in fleshly ceremonies as if the Old Covenant had never been fulfilled. Don't be afraid. Jesus has never disappointed anyone who trusted him. He is able and willing "to save them to the uttermost who come unto God by Him." That is the true faith of the New Testament, and every fleshly ceremony that Christians add to this faith of Christ denies his wonderful power to save.