“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Gal. 5:1, NKJV)
With this teaching we are thus concluding the sub-theme of the sabbath. It was inevitable that this would entail a foray into the issue of circumcision in the old covenant, as Jesus used one event to make an explicit link between sabbath and circumcision (John 7:22), and this has immense implications for highlighting how an adherence to the law reduces one’s relationship with God to an obsession with trivialities.
In the last teaching we did not have the space to provide an important New Testament perspective on circumcision as an external sign of a covenant rooted in law, but we shall do that now.
The first important portion of Scripture concerning this is Gal. 5:2-3, 6 & 11-15: “Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law … For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love … And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased. I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off! For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!”
Allow Paul’s blow to fall: “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith” (Gal. 3:10-11). James 2:10-12 also makes it very clear: “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.”
To thus absolutise any law, for instance observing the sabbath, is to ask to be cursed, as no person is able to uphold the entirety of the law. Also – if you break any law, you are guilty of breaking all of them. Mea Culpa Maxima!
The last Scripture about circumcision as external sign of the covenant is found in Phil. 3:3, where Paul establishes it with immense metaphoric power: “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” According to Col. 2:11 he who is born again IS the circumcision, without having to be circumcised in the flesh, or having to adhere to the law, only in serving God in Spirit and truth, thus the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25)! The NJB -translation of Gal. 5:1 notes it as follows: “Christ set us free, so that we should remain free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be fastened again to the yoke of slavery.”
Back to the New Testament handling of the sabbath. The early church had to decide if the heathens who had become born again were expected to observe the law of Moses (Acts 15:5-6). In verse 10 Peter is adamant about the law: “Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” In order to not cause their fellow Jewish brothers to stumble, the apostles provide the following practical wisdom in verses 28-29: “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.” Take note that none of the heavyweight laws of the old covenant are presented as examples here – the circumcision, observing the sabbath, etc – none of them make this list.
Our forefather in the spirit is not Moses, but Abraham, Gal. 3:17 makes clear. And Abraham lived 430 years before the law was given, in relationship with God, WITHOUT ANY LAW to govern this relationship.
In conclusion, two New Testament Scriptures that are explicitly concerned with this matter, whether we should treat certain days differently than others:
- Rom 14:5 – “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.”
- 2:16-17 – “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”
In Col. 2:8 Paul warns us, in a very specific manner, whilst he is writing about the complex matter of observing the law in the new covenant: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” The Message provides a contemporary paraphrasing of the wider section, making the argument clear: “You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving. Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that’s not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him.” (Col. 2:7-9, Message)
In the teachings of Day 848-850 we discussed the institution which accommodates “all power, signs, and lying wonders” in order to uphold a false anointing, the institutionalised Babylonian church system. This “defection from the truth” takes place within the visible church, not outside it. Rendering the church carnal is enmity against God. Therefore it is very important that this mystery of Christ opposes the Babylonian church system. The Bride of Christ of the third dimension opposes the Whore of Babylon, the institutionalised church system. The crisis is that the true church is held hostage by the noble laws of religion. In Rev. 18:2 we are anxiously warned to leave Babylon.
- Selah: Are you linked to Babylon in any way?
- Read: Mark 3; Luke 6; Matt .12:1-21; Matt. 5-7.
- Memorise: 12:6 & 8 (what amazing synchronicity! God is indeed steadfast.)
