Which laws apply to Israel and which laws still apply to the Church?
Messianic believers follow much larger portions of Mosaic law than most Christians. Do other Christians see a difference between moral versus civil law, such as "No, don't murder, but grace will let you enjoy a ham sandwich?"
Exodus 20:1 - 21
ESV - 1 And God spoke all these words, saying. 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
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Asked November 11 2017
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Wayne Lindell
Supporter
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Aurel Gheorghe
Supporter
God in the OT gave the people of Israel specific guidance about healthy living and obedience. The Ten Commandments, or the Moral law, which you alluded to, contains 10 laws that are meant to protect from harm and keep us in communion with our Creator. It’s hard to argue that idolatry, adultery, murder, theft, or covetousness are now obsolete, meant only for the Jews, and Christians under grace should not be burdened with such laws. It's also difficult to justify why the seventh-day Sabbath commanded by God as a celebration of His Creation has been changed to Sunday when nowhere in the Bible such change is directed or implied. God also gave Moses the Ceremonial Law, containing hundreds of laws about animal sacrifices and sanctuary worship. All the OT animal sacrifices and sanctuary activities were pointing forward to Christ, (John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:19). Since Christ’s sacrifice, all these ceremonial laws are no longer binding or necessary to be observed by today’s Christian (Colossians 2:14). I wrote more about this subject here: https://ebible.com/questions/18499-what-is-the-apostle-paul-saying-in-this-scripture-when-he-says-let-no-man-therefore-judge-you-in-meat-or-in-drink-or-in-respect-of-an-holy-day-or-of-the-new-moon-or-of-the-sabbath-days#answer-30799 In addition to all that, God gave Israel specific instructions about healthy eating (Leviticus 11), proper hygiene and sanitation (Leviticus 5:2-3; 13:1-3; 14:8-9; Deut 23:13; Ex 30:19). Do healthy eating, sanitation and hygiene still matter today? Absolutely! Is the Christian stomach today any different than a Jewish stomach? Absolutely not! (Deut 7:12-15). God said to keep swine and unclean animals out of our kitchens because He knows what is good and not good for human consumption (Deut 14:8). I work in medical related field and never heard a doctor saying that we need more dogs and rats in our diet, or to bathe and wash hands less. Regardless if you are a Christian or not, maintaining a healthy, clean and groomed body is socially accepted practice in most parts of the world. As Christians, knowing that we are God’s creation and we were redeemed by Christ’s blood we have an added responsibility to live healthy lives and conduct ourselves in a responsible and honorably manner(1 Corinthians 6:19).
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