By David Baker

Current events often occupy our thoughts, and today one in particular stands out. As I read the East Valley Tribune, the Spiritual Life Section, from today, one of the articles reminds me that the Democratic Party has chosen Senator Joseph Lieberman from Connecticut to be Algore’s running mate this election year. Lieberman is a nice guy, not quite as liberal as Algore and an orthodox Jew. That fact causes more than a few people to raise their eyebrows.

I am not against Jews in government, or even having a Jewish president. While I do not agree with many of the recently stated political positions of Lieberman, his being a Jew has no bearing on how I will vote in November.

The reason I bring all this up is that the fellow who wrote the article seems to be making the point that there is really no difference in what true Christians and Jews believe – except that Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah and Jews don’t. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Christians believe that the church is the promised kingdom of the Old Testament (Acts 2:47; Col. 1:13-14), the Jews believe the Messiah will rule on the earth in a fleshly reign. Christians believe that Jesus, the Messiah of God, died in order to procure atonement for our sins (1 Cor. 5:14-15). Jews believe that men must themselves atone for their sins. Christians understand that the Old Testament was a law that was done away in Christ (2 Cor 3:14). Jews believe that the Old Testament Law is God’s law is still in effect and the New Testament teachings are a fraud. Christians believe that salvation is in Jesus alone (John 14:6 Acts 4:12).

The truth is that the Old Testament Law, the Torah, was given by God to a specific people for a specific time. It was given to Israel alone, "till the seed should come." "What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made" (Gal. 3:19). Who was the seed. What was Paul talking about? "Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ" (Gal 3:16).

The disposition of the Torah to the Gentile was hostile. Paul wrote to Gentile converts in Colossae concerning the Old Law, "Having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out that way, nailing it to the cross" (Colossians 2:14). Paul argued that the Law of Moses constituted a "middle wall of partition" between Jew and Gentile, so that the Gentiles were referred to as those who were "far off (Eph. 2:13-16)."

But salvation is not of the law of Moses. It is of the faith which is in Jesus. Paul said, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them. Now that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith; and the law is not of faith; but, He that doeth them shall live in them (Gal 3:10-12). He also said in that chapter: "Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed. So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham" (vs. 7-9).

The Old Law, the Torah, was given to the Jews. The promise of justification made to Abraham was to all, including the Gentiles, who have faith like Abraham’s. While the Torah was hostile to the Gentiles, the promise of justification was not.

The imposition of the Old Testament Law on people is certainly not what God intends. Jesus died on the cross, nailing that law to it. "And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses; having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out that way, nailing it to the cross (Col. 2:13-14).

In fact, in this discussion of the Old Testament Law, notice how Paul begins: "Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ (vs. 8). From here he discusses the disposition of the Christian to the Torah. The Torah’s imposition is here equated with human philosophy and vain deceit. As tradition that has its origin in the mind of man, and as a "rudiment" of the world, Paul contrasts the Torah with Christ.

The implications given by Paul make the teaching even clearer. "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day: which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's (vs. 16-17). The things he name here are things that are peculiar to the Old Law. Meat offerings, drink offerings, feast days prescribed by the law and the sabbath are the things that are under consideration and have their root in the Torah. But he tells these Christians that they should let no man judge them, or evaluate their devotion to God, by means of these things. They are not relevant to our salvation because they do not pertain to Christ. These things are but a shadow, but Christ’s law is the substance.

Is Joseph Lieberman a good man? I suppose that he is. Is he right in his politics? I don’t believe so, but that is my opinion. Is he right in his religion? Absolutely not. He is lost in his sin because he has rejected the only savior God has or will give.