Last week I was speaking primarily to those of us in this so called Messianic/Hebraic Roots movement. This week I would like to speak to my Christian brothers and sisters that might be wondering what in the world has happened to us — are we in a cult? I’d like to propose a deductive line of thinking for a moment. A person explains to you that he believes:

*Jesus is the Son of God/God in the flesh

*Salvation is by grace through faith apart from works by the shed blood of Jesus

*A person is not saved or kept saved by the works of the Law

*There is a heaven and a hell, a coming judgement, and Jesus is coming again to set up His kingdom — Wouldn't it be fair to think, at least at this point, the person might be saved?

Ok, now let’s suppose that same person explains he believes the Bible teaches he should:

*Observe the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath

*Observe the dietary instructions (my Baptist hero of the faith Lester Roloff wouldn’t eat pork because the Bible says not to)

*Observe the festivals in the Bible and not Christmas and Easter — Wouldn’t it be fair to conclude that same person still might be saved?

I wrestled with these issues almost from the very beginning of my salvation back in 1973. Because I basically had no Bible or church background, I came to the Scriptures like a “clean slate.” As I read the Scriptures I purposed to find out what it said even if it appeared to fly in the face of my New Scofield Study Bible, or whatever. And that is what I have continually done.

After so many years I finally needed resolution. I searched the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. From what I could tell it didn’t look like the Sabbath was changed to Sunday (the Roman Catholic Church changed it), the dietary instructions were done away with, the festivals were ended, or many other things that still could be observed though there is no longer a temple/priesthood.

Let me close with this.

You’re on a deserted island. You always lived on a deserted island. One day, somehow, a Bible ends up on your island. Based upon the greatest amount of information that you find:

Would you celebrate Easter and Christmas or the holidays/festivals in the Bible? Would you rest on the seventh day or on the first day? Would you roast a buzzard and eat it?

Maybe you’ve wondered about some of this too. It’s for you I write. As you read your Bible, come to it like a “clean slate” and be willing to ask yourself the hard questions. For those of you who fear we’ve been abducted by aliens … let me assure you — they really are green!!

Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of my faith,

Warren

Next time: God Wrote A Blog