10/12/2014 - DISQUALIFIED FOR LITTLE

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I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Galatians 5:2

Paul was furious with the ignorance of the Galatians. They allowed themselves to be influenced by the enemy´s lies. The devil used some people to deviate them from Christ, although they didn’t speak badly about the Lord. Those brethren couldn’t go on saying they were Christians. They had to let themselves be circumcised. The arguments of those who were for the circumcision were too strong, for they entangled many with such doctrine. 

In our days, there are groups who state they are evangelicals, but defend principles of Judaism. For them, the principles of the Law are important because they keep the days, months, celebrations and other statutes ordained by Moses to the Israelites. In the book of Acts 15:20, only four abstentions remained to be observed by the Church of Christ. Those who have approved what has been abolished are infant in faith (Hebrews 5:13). 

Those who seek in pleasing God must stay alert and pray in order not to move away from Christ. The circumcision was a commandment from the Old Testament; however, the Galatians were confused with the explanations of this Jewish ritual.  And those who preach the keeping of the Sabbath are also confused. For them, what Jesus taught about the Sabbath has less value than that of the Law. 

There are some people who teach we should celebrate the tabernacle feasts. But these feasts and others of the Old Alliance have nothing to do with us. You can’t be of Christ and keep these ordinances that have expired and therefore have not been recognized as obligations to be observed by those who accepted Jesus as Savior. We will not win one Jew for salvation in Christ if we allow ourselves to be led by any precept that the Word does not endorse. 

The Gospel is superior to all religious ordinances. Even is a good church makes up something or goes back to Jewish practices, it must not be taken serious. Such recommendation is condemned explicitly in this verse. Whoever gives in to such practices will be disconnected from Christ and will not be used by the Lord. Unless you don’t want to be useful to the Lord, you can give in to these religious customs. 

Now, just imagine what happens to the person who worships someone who was used by the Almighty in the past. There is not one single recommendation in the Holy Book about such act. On the contrary, there are prohibitions that are very clear about this matter (Exodus 20:4, 5). When Jesus was tempted in the desert, he said that we must only worship the Omnipotent (Matthew 4:10). Whoever invokes somebody that died in the past in an unfairly manner or that was used by God in some way, will certainly not be useful. 

So what will you do before all of this? As for me, I want to strive to be useful in the holy work. Without a doubt, to be called to work in the work of salvation is a very high privilege indeed, and in absolutely no way must it be defiled with practices of other religions. The right choice is to respect the Word of God all times. 

In Christ, with Love,

R. R. Soares